The tooth and periodontium are essential structures of the oral cavity, frequently compromised by conditions such as dental defects, caries, and periodontal diseases, which, if poorly treated, often lead to tooth loss. These conditions, affecting billions of people worldwide, remain significant healthcare and socio-economic challenges. Regenerative dentistry has emerged as a possible therapeutic option, leveraging advances in tissue engineering (TE), stem cell biology, and biophysical stimulation. Oral tissue-derived mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (OMSCs) hold great potential for dental and periodontal regeneration. Electrical stimulation (ES), a biophysical cue known to regulate key cellular behaviors such as migration, proliferation, and differentiation, has gained increasing attention for enhancing the therapeutic capacities of OMSCs.

In a review paper recently published in the journal Cells, SCERG-iBB researchers Ruben Pires, Mafalda Santos, Filipe Miguel, Cláudia Lobato da Silva and João Carlos Silva provide a comprehensive overview of the biological responses of OMSCs under ES and of the recent breakthroughs in ES-based dental and periodontal TE strategies. Current challenges and future directions for translating these innovative ES-based approaches into clinical practice are also discussed.

This study was supported by the FCT projects “InSilico4OCReg” (PTDC/EME-SIS/0838/2021) and “DentalBioMatrix” (PTDC/BTM-MAT/3538/2020). See more.