Autophagy: Key to Oral Tissue Regeneration through Stem Cell Regulation

Stem cells are essential for tissue regeneration, including oral tissue. Autophagy is a critical pathway that regulates stem cell properties such as survival, self-renewal, differentiation, and proliferation. It also plays a vital role in preventing cell damage caused by harsh environmental factors. Injured oral tissue is often exposed to more severe inflammatory, immune, and mechanical stress, making autophagy essential for stem cell survival under such circumstances. Autophagy activates multiple signaling pathways that help stem cells eliminate survival stress. However, if the damage is severe, autophagy can induce cell death/apoptosis, contributing to cell clearance, an essential process for tissue regeneration. Optimizing stem cell stemness and metabolism by manipulating autophagy is crucial for improving oral tissue regeneration outcomes. (Refer to Figure 2 for a graphical representation).