The Role of Autophagy in Oral Tissue Regeneration: A Comprehensive Review

The oral cavity is a distinctive environment that undergoes constant remodeling and regeneration, requiring the involvement of autophagy. Additionally, the oral cavity is home to a significant number of bacterial colonizers, which can lead to various oral diseases caused by bacterial infection and subsequent immune reactions. Studies have shown that autophagy plays a crucial role in controlling the infectious burden of intracellular pathogens, limiting inflammatory pathologies, regulating myeloid/lymphoid cell differentiation, and coordinating multicellular immunity. Given the role of autophagy in repairing damaged tissue, it is reasonable to conclude that autophagy is closely associated with oral tissue regeneration. Despite numerous studies investigating the role of autophagy in oral diseases and oral tissue regeneration, no systematic reviews have been conducted on the topic.