Dental stem cells as a promising source for cell therapies in neurological diseases

Abstract

One of the main hallmarks of neurodegenerative diseases is the loss of neurons in the brain and/or spinal cord. The clinical characteristics of neurodegenerative diseases depend on the specific regions of the central nervous system that have undergone cell loss. These diseases place an enormous burden on society due to the degree of human suffering and their substantial economic cost. Indeed, approximately 1 in 6 individuals worldwide suffer from neurological disorders. As the world’s population ages, the impact of neurological disorders is expected to increase and likely become one of the main public health and medical challenges of the coming century. There is still no cure for neurodegenerative diseases and currently available therapies only provide symptomatic relief. Hence, there is a pressing need to identify alternative therapeutic approaches to treat neurodegenerative diseases. Considering the global impact of these diseases and the need for new therapies, stem cell therapies have emerged as a promising treatment for neurodegenerative diseases. Notably, dental stem cells are an optimal candidate for cell-based therapeutic approaches, due primarily to the ease with which they can be obtained and their high regenerative potential. In this review, we summarize the potential of dental stem cells for use as a neurodegenerative disease therapy.