Autophagy and Oral Tissue Regeneration: A Comprehensive Review

The oral cavity is a dynamic environment that requires continuous remodeling and regeneration, and autophagy plays a crucial role in this process. In addition, the oral cavity is home to numerous bacterial colonizers, and bacterial infections can lead to various oral diseases. Autophagy has been shown to help control infectious agents, limit inflammation, and coordinate immune responses. Given its role in tissue repair, autophagy is closely associated with oral tissue regeneration. Although several studies have explored the role of autophagy in oral diseases and tissue regeneration, a systematic review is still lacking.

This review focuses on the role of autophagy in stem cell regulation and oral tissue regeneration. We discuss how autophagy helps oral stem cells cope with survival stress and provide an overview of autophagy machinery in eukaryotes. We also explore the molecular mechanisms involved in autophagy-regulated oral tissue regeneration and how autophagy can be regulated using small molecule drugs, biomaterials, exosomes/RNAs, or other specific treatments. Finally, we discuss new perspectives on autophagy manipulation and oral tissue regeneration.

Although we have made progress in understanding the role of autophagy in oral tissue regeneration, many questions still remain. Further mechanistic studies are necessary to address these questions for therapeutic purposes. Our review provides valuable insights into autophagy-mediated oral tissue regeneration and can guide future research in this field. Ultimately, we hope our review will contribute to the development of novel therapies for human tissue regeneration.