Scribante A. Melatonin regulation and the function of the periodontal ligament: Future perspective and challenges. World J Stem Cells 2025; 17(1): 101347 [DOI: 10.4252/wjsc.v17.i1.101347]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Andrea Scribante, PhD, Professor, Section of Dentistry, Department of Clinical, Surgical, Diagnostic and Paediatric Sciences, University of Pavia, Piazzale Golgi 2, Pavia 27100, Italy. andrea.scribante@unipv.it
Research Domain of This Article
Dentistry, Oral Surgery & Medicine
Article-Type of This Article
Letter to the Editor
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (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: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Stem Cells. Jan 26, 2025; 17(1): 101347 Published online Jan 26, 2025. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.v17.i1.101347
Melatonin regulation and the function of the periodontal ligament: Future perspective and challenges
Andrea Scribante
Andrea Scribante, Section of Dentistry, Department of Clinical, Surgical, Diagnostic and Paediatric Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia 27100, Italy
Author contributions: Scribante A provided the conceptualization, methodology, software, investigation, writing-original draft preparation, writing-review and editing, and data visualization of this manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The author reports no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
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: Andrea Scribante, PhD, Professor, Section of Dentistry, Department of Clinical, Surgical, Diagnostic and Paediatric Sciences, University of Pavia, Piazzale Golgi 2, Pavia 27100, Italy. andrea.scribante@unipv.it
Received: September 11, 2024 Revised: September 30, 2024 Accepted: November 26, 2024 Published online: January 26, 2025 Processing time: 130 Days and 14.3 Hours
Abstract
The present article reviews the emerging role of melatonin (MT) and the Hippo-Yes-associated protein signaling pathway in periodontal regeneration, highlighting their potential to delay the aging process of periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs). Oxidative stress and cellular senescence are major obstacles in regenerative therapies, especially in an aging population. MT, a potent antioxidant, restores the morphology, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation potential of PDLSCs under oxidative stress conditions. Recent research highlights how MT enhances PDLSC stemness by upregulating Yes-associated protein expression, offering a promising therapeutic strategy to antagonize tissue degeneration. In addition, the article discusses the growing interest in probiotics as a complementary approach to improve oral microbiota and support tissue regeneration. The integration of MT with traditional and novel therapeutic approaches may pave the way for innovative preventive or active treatments in periodontology, aimed at reducing oxidative stress. Future research needs to focus on translating these findings into clinical applications and promoting a deeper understanding of periodontal regeneration and cellular aging.
Core Tip: The text highlights recent developments in periodontal research, showing that melatonin delays the aging of periodontal ligament stem cells and enhances their regenerative capacity, by acting on the Hippo-Yes-associated protein signaling pathway. This could be a breakthrough in the treatment of age-related periodontal disease.
