The relationship between MAPK signaling pathways and osteogenic differentiation of periodontal ligament stem cells: a literature review

Abstract

Periodontitis is a common oral disease that can lead to gingival inflammation, development of periodontal pockets, resorption of the alveolar bone, and the loosening and eventual loss of teeth. The optimal outcome of periodontitis treatment is maximum regeneration and functional reconstruction of periodontal tissues after control of infection and elimination of inflammation. Since both the self-healing ability of alveolar bone and the efficacy of traditional treatment methods are very limited, stem cell-based tissue regeneration engineering has received more and more attention from scholars. The best cells for periodontal tissue regeneration have been well examined, and these are called periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs). The MAPK signaling pathways, including the ERK1/2, p38 MAPK, JNK, and ERK5 signaling pathways, are very complex and highly conserved tertiary kinase signaling pathways. These pathways are closely related to the osteogenic differentiation of PDLSCs, and this paper provides an overview of the research on the MAPK signaling pathways and the osteogenic differentiation of PDLSCs.