Roles of basic fibroblast growth factor, stem cells from dental pulp and apical papilla in the repair and regeneration of dental pulp and other tissues/organs

Currently, the concept of regeneration and regenerative therapies are already being applied clinically to treat pulpal and periodontal diseases, as well as to repair and regenerate systemic organs and tissues. During wound healing, well-developed, functional vascular networks and revascularization are fundamental factors in restoring regenerative potential. Growth factors, stem cells, and scaffolds alone or in combination are reported to contribute to successful tissue repair and engineering via cell transplantation, cell homing or other technologies. Among the growth factors, basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) has been found to regulate the proliferation, stemness, migration, and differentiation of vascular and mineralized tissues into various cell types through the differential activation of FGF receptors (FGFRs) and downstream signaling pathways. In addition to growth factors, various dental stem cells are widely used for the regeneration of diseased or lost dental pulp and periodontal tissues, yielding promising results. Stem cells from the apical papilla (SCAPs) and dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs), with or without bFGF, have been shown to be crucial for angiogenesis/revascularization, neuronal growth, and the repair/regeneration of the pulpo-dentin complex, apexogenesis, and may potentially be used in the future to treat various systemic diseases such as myocardial infarction, diabetes, retinopathy, and others. Further studies are needed to optimize the use of bFGF and dental stem cells such as SCAPs and DPSCs by using cell transplantation, cell homing or other technologies for tissue and organ regeneration in experimental animal models and, eventually, in clinical patients in the future.