Clinical application prospects and transformation value of dental follicle stem cells in oral and neurological diseases

Abstract

Since dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) were first reported, six types of dental SCs (DSCs) have been isolated and identified. DSCs originating from the craniofacial neural crest exhibit dental-like tissue differentiation potential and neuro-ectodermal features. As a member of DSCs, dental follicle SCs (DFSCs) are the only cell type obtained at the early developing stage of the tooth prior to eruption. Dental follicle tissue has the distinct advantage of large tissue volume compared with other dental tissues, which is a prerequisite for obtaining a sufficient number of cells to meet the needs of clinical applications. Furthermore, DFSCs exhibit a significantly higher cell proliferation rate, higher colony-formation capacity, and more primitive and better anti-inflammatory effects than other DSCs. In this respect, DFSCs have the potential to be of great clinical significance and translational value in oral and neurological diseases, with natural advantages based on their origin. Lastly, cryopreservation preserves the biological properties of DFSCs and enables them to be used as off-shelf products for clinical applications. This review summarizes and comments on the properties, application potential, and clinical transformation value of DFSCs, thereby inspiring novel perspectives in the future treatment of oral and neurological diseases.

Keywords: Dental follicle stem cells, Oral disease, Neurological disease, Tissue engineering, Regeneration, Immunoregulation

Core Tip: This review is intended to summarize and comment on the properties, application potentials, and clinical transformation value of dental follicle stem cells (DFSCs). Stem cells derived from dental SCs (DSCs) originating from the craniofacial neural crest exhibit dental-like tissue differentiation potentials and neuro-ectodermal features, making them a promising alternative for the treatment of oral and neurological diseases. Moreover, in contrast to other DSCs, DFSCs from the early-developing tissues exhibit a number of superior properties, including larger tissue volume, higher cell proliferation rate, more similar biological profiles to progenitor cells of origin, and better anti-inflammatory effects, etc. These advantages are part of the critical mechanism by which DFSCs exert therapeutic effects and are relevant for large scale scaling and industrial generation for clinical applications. Moreover, cryopreservation preserves the biological properties of DFSCs and enables them to be used as off-shelf products for clinical applications. Therefore, DFSCs could have great clinical prospects and translational value in oral and neurological diseases with natural advantages.