Naturally derived scaffolds for dental pulp regeneration: A review

Abstract

Dental pulp regeneration via stem cell engineering approach offers a great potential in tackling the difficulty in dental clinical situations such as teeth loss and periodontal diseases. One of the potential approaches in dental tissue engineering includes the application of dental stem cells-based therapy. In this approach, dental stem cells are generally cultured on special biodegradable membrane filters or scaffolds, allowing for three-dimensional (3D) pulp tissues formation before it can be inserted into the area of damaged dental pulp for dentin regeneration. The naturally derived scaffold, onto which stem cells are let to grow include platelet rich fibrin (PRF), collagen, hyaluronic acid (HA), polysaccharides, silk and amniotic membrane (AM). Biological scaffolds offer special characteristics such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, low immunogenicity and ability to support cells growth for various applications of tissue engineering. This review discusses the available naturally derived scaffolds for dental pulp regeneration and highlights their potential advantages. We also aim to improve the understanding of the application of natural scaffolds in dental pulp regeneration.