Periodontal Ligament Stem Cell-Mediated Treatment for Periodontitis in Miniature Swine

TLDR

Periodontitis is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults, is linked to systemic diseases such as coronary artery disease, stroke, and diabetes, and currently lacks an ideal regenerative therapy. This study investigates whether autologous periodontal ligament stem cells can repair periodontal defects in a miniature pig model of periodontitis. Periodontal lesions were created by surgically removing bone and suturing silk around the tooth’s cervical area, after which PDLSCs were harvested from extracted teeth, expanded ex vivo, and transplanted into the defects. Transplantation of PDLSCs regenerated periodontal tissues, demonstrating the feasibility of stem cell–mediated tissue engineering for treating periodontal disease.

Abstract

Periodontitis is a periodontal tissue infectious disease and the most common cause for tooth loss in adults. It has been linked to many systemic disorders, such as coronary artery disease, stroke, and diabetes. At present, there is no ideal therapeutic approach to cure periodontitis and achieve optimal periodontal tissue regeneration. In this study, we explored the potential of using autologous periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) to treat periodontal defects in a porcine model of periodontitis. The periodontal lesion was generated in the first molars area of miniature pigs by the surgical removal of bone and subsequent silk ligament suture around the cervical portion of the tooth. Autologous PDLSCs were obtained from extracted teeth of the miniature pigs and then expanded ex vivo to enrich PDLSC numbers. When transplanted into the surgically created periodontal defect areas, PDLSCs were capable of regenerating periodontal tissues, leading to a favorable treatment for periodontitis. This study demonstrates the feasibility of using stem cell-mediated tissue engineering to treat periodontal diseases.