Potential of dental pulp stem cells and their products in promoting peripheral nerve regeneration and their future applications

Peripheral nerve injury (PNI) seriously affects people’s quality of life. Stem cell therapy is considered a promising new option for the clinical treatment of PNI. Dental stem cells, particularly dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs), are adult pluripotent stem cells derived from the neuroectoderm. DPSCs have significant potential in the field of neural tissue engineering due to their numerous advantages, such as easy isolation, multidifferentiation potential, low immunogenicity, and low transplant rejection rate. DPSCs are extensively used in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, including for the treatment of sciatic nerve injury, facial nerve injury, spinal cord injury, and other neurodegenerative diseases. This article reviews research related to DPSCs and their advantages in treating PNI, aiming to summarize the therapeutic potential of DPSCs for PNI and the underlying mechanisms and providing valuable guidance and a foundation for future research.

Key Words: Dental pulp stem cells, Peripheral nerve injury, Regenerative medicine, Neural regeneration, Schwann cells, Stem cells engineering

Core Tip: This article reviews the potential applications of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) and their derivatives in the field of nerve regeneration. First, this paper describes the current status of stem cell therapies for peripheral nerve injury (PNI) and discusses the advantages of DPSCs in this field. Then, the status of research on the neuroregenerative ability of DPSCs and their derivatives is reviewed. Finally, the potential of DPSCs in treating PNI and the underlying mechanism are summarized, with an aim to provide valuable guidance and a basis for future research.

• Citation: Xing WB, Wu ST, Wang XX, Li FY, Wang RX, He JH, Fu J, He Y. Potential of dental pulp stem cells and their products in promoting peripheral nerve regeneration and their future applications. World J Stem Cells 2023; 15(10): 960-978
• URL: https://www.wjgnet.com/1948-0210/full/v15/i10/960.htm
• DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4252/wjsc.v15.i10.960