Researchers from the University of São Paulo in Brazil have uncovered links between the processes responsible for dental pulp inflammation and damage to the root apex. These findings have the potential to pave the way for the development of medications that can mitigate bone loss resulting from endodontic infections.
The results obtained by the research team were recently disseminated in the Journal of Endodontics. The scientists observed that the tumor necrosis factor-α receptor-1, abbreviated as TNFR1, plays a crucial role in the formation of reparative dentin following dental pulp capping. Dental pulp capping is a procedure where bioactive material is applied to exposed pulp to stimulate the healing process at the injury site. TNFR1 becomes proinflammatory upon binding with the cytokine TNF-α.
The team demonstrated that, in one scenario, the TNF-α-TNFR1 signaling pathway safeguarded teeth and facilitated repair. However, in a different context, it exhibited antagonistic behavior, resulting in an inflammatory process that led to bone loss. The team attributed the disparity between these two situations to the presence or absence of microorganisms.
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Researchers Discover Mechanism Involved in Dental Inflammation