title: Adult stem cell-based apexogenesis.
abstract: Generally, the dental pulp needs to be removed when it is infected, and root canal therapy (RCT) is usually required in which infected dental pulp is replaced with inorganic materials (paste and gutta percha). This treatment approach ultimately brings about a dead tooth. However, pulp vitality is extremely important to the tooth itself, since it provides nutrition and acts as a biosensor to detect the potential pathogenic stimuli. Despite the reported clinical success rate, RCT-treated teeth are destined to be devitalized, brittle and susceptible to postoperative fracture. Recently, the advances and achievements in the field of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine have inspired novel biological approaches to apexogenesis in young patients suffering from pulpitis or periapical periodontitis. This review mainly focuses on the benchtop and clinical regeneration of root apex mediated by adult stem cells. Moreover, current strategies for infected pulp therapy are also discussed here.
authors.affiliation: Yao Li, Li-Hong Shu, Ming Yan, Wen-Yong Dai, Jun-Jun Li, Guang-Dong Zhang, Jin-Hua Yu, Institute of Stomatology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Yao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Yao Li, Li-Hong Shu, Ming Yan, Wen-Yong Dai, Jun-Jun Li, Guang-Dong Zhang, Jin-Hua Yu, Institute of Stomatology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Li-Hong
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Shu
authors.affiliation: Yao Li, Li-Hong Shu, Ming Yan, Wen-Yong Dai, Jun-Jun Li, Guang-Dong Zhang, Jin-Hua Yu, Institute of Stomatology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Yao Li, Li-Hong Shu, Ming Yan, Wen-Yong Dai, Jun-Jun Li, Guang-Dong Zhang, Jin-Hua Yu, Institute of Stomatology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Wen-Yong
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.affiliation: Yao Li, Li-Hong Shu, Ming Yan, Wen-Yong Dai, Jun-Jun Li, Guang-Dong Zhang, Jin-Hua Yu, Institute of Stomatology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Jun-Jun
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Yao Li, Li-Hong Shu, Ming Yan, Wen-Yong Dai, Jun-Jun Li, Guang-Dong Zhang, Jin-Hua Yu, Institute of Stomatology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Guang-Dong
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Yao Li, Li-Hong Shu, Ming Yan, Wen-Yong Dai, Jun-Jun Li, Guang-Dong Zhang, Jin-Hua Yu, Institute of Stomatology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Jin-Hua
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Yu
keywords: Apexogenesis; Dental pulp; Odontoblast; Stem cell; Tooth regeneration