Periodontal tissue regeneration by transplantation of adipose tissue-derived stem cells

Abstract

Periodontitis is the most common cause of tooth loss, and therefore great effort is directed towards developing therapies to counteract its progression. Recent advances have been made to regenerate periodontal tissue damaged by periodontitis. The topical application of recombinant cytokines such as platelet-derived growth factor and fibroblast growth factor-2 can activate endogenous stem cells existing within the periodontal ligament, resulting in enhancement of periodontal regeneration. These cytokine therapies have studied in both preclinical and clinical studies, and concentrated efforts are now being made to translate these techniques to cell-based therapies for enhancing periodontal regeneration. Although recent studies reported that transplantation of stem cells from various tissues, including bone marrow and periodontal ligaments, had positive effects on periodontal regeneration, these techniques are limited by problems with stem cell isolation and availability. Thus, we focused on adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ADSCs) because adipose tissue is abundant and is easily and safely accessible. Recently, we demonstrated that transplantation of ADSCs enhances periodontal tissue regeneration in beagle dogs. We have already completed preparations to begin clinical studies to evaluate the safety and efficacy of ADSCs in periodontal tissue regeneration. This review summarizes our knowledge of adipose stem cell therapies and explores its potential in periodontal therapy.