Autophagy's Crucial Role in Oral Tissue Regeneration: A Comprehensive Review

The oral cavity is a unique environment that requires constant remodeling and regeneration, which is facilitated by autophagy. This is particularly important as the oral cavity is home to a large number of bacterial colonizers, and many oral diseases are caused by bacterial infection and subsequent immune reactions. Studies have shown that autophagy is involved in controlling infectious agents, limiting inflammatory pathologies, regulating cell differentiation, and coordinating immunity. Furthermore, autophagy plays a significant role in repairing damaged tissue, suggesting that it has a close association with oral tissue regeneration. Despite the wealth of research on the role of autophagy in oral diseases and tissue regeneration, there is a lack of systematic reviews on the subject.