Review
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2021. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Stem Cells. Dec 26, 2021; 13(12): 1863-1880
Published online Dec 26, 2021. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.v13.i12.1863
Dental mesenchymal stromal/stem cells in different microenvironments— implications in regenerative therapy
Ivana Okić-Đorđević, Hristina Obradović, Tamara Kukolj, Anđelija Petrović, Slavko Mojsilović, Diana Bugarski, Aleksandra Jauković
Ivana Okić-Đorđević, Hristina Obradović, Tamara Kukolj, Anđelija Petrović, Slavko Mojsilović, Diana Bugarski, Aleksandra Jauković, Laboratory for Experimental Hematology and Stem Cells, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Belgrade 11129, Serbia
Author contributions: Okić Đorđević I designed and wrote the manuscript; Obradović H contributed to the article’s conception and writing; Kukolj T performed the literature review and article writing and editing; Petrović A contributed to the literature review and article writing; Mojsilović S performed the literature analysis and article writing; Bugarski D and Jauković A made critical revisions to the manuscript; all authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript.
Supported by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Republic of Serbia, No. 451-03-9/2021-14/200015.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Ivana Okić-Đorđević, PhD, Assistant Professor, Laboratory for Experimental Hematology and Stem Cells, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Dr Subotića 4, PO BOX 102, Belgrade 11129, Serbia. ivana.okic@imi.bg.ac.rs
Received: May 17, 2021
Peer-review started: May 17, 2021
First decision: June 5, 2021
Revised: June 15, 2021
Accepted: November 25, 2021
Article in press: November 25, 2021
Published online: December 26, 2021
Abstract

Current research data reveal microenvironment as a significant modifier of physical functions, pathologic changes, as well as the therapeutic effects of stem cells. When comparing regeneration potential of various stem cell types used for cytotherapy and tissue engineering, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are currently the most attractive cell source for bone and tooth regeneration due to their differentiation and immunomodulatory potential and lack of ethical issues associated with their use. The microenvironment of donors and recipients selected in cytotherapy plays a crucial role in regenerative potential of transplanted MSCs, indicating interactions of cells with their microenvironment indispensable in MSC-mediated bone and dental regeneration. Since a variety of MSC populations have been procured from different parts of the tooth and tooth-supporting tissues, MSCs of dental origin and their achievements in capacity to reconstitute various dental tissues have gained attention of many research groups over the years. This review discusses recent advances in comparative analyses of dental MSC regeneration potential with regards to their tissue origin and specific microenvironmental conditions, giving additional insight into the current clinical application of these cells.

Keywords: Microenvironment, Dental mesenchymal stem cells, Modulation of regenerative potential, Tissue origin, Hypoxia microenvironment, Inflammatory microenvironment, Clinical application

Core Tip: This review discusses recent advances in comparative analyses of dental mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) regeneration potential. We have summarized the available research evidence concerning the effects of hypoxic and inflammatory microenvironmental factors on dental MSC differentiation capacity. Existing investigations indicate the very important aspect of the recipient microenvironment niche in terms of therapeutic efficacy of transplanted dental MSCs. However, some of the data for the same cell type (especially in hypoxic in vitro conditions) are conflicting, so it is important to point out that the biology of MSCs is not yet fully known, and further research in this area is needed.