Autophagy's Complex Role in Dental Pulp Regeneration: A Double-Edged Sword

However, in later stages of inflammation, autophagy may also accelerate apoptosis and compromise the regeneration of dental pulp tissue. A previous study indicated that during odontoblast differentiation, FGF2 stimulation suppressed autophagy in MDPC-23 cells, which promoted cell differentiation, while autophagy upregulation induced by the inhibition of Cbfα1 reversed the FGF2-mediated suppression, leading to decreased odontoblast differentiation [112]. Another study reported that in an LPS-induced inflammatory environment, increased autophagy was closely linked to reduced cell viability and differentiation in SCAPs. Whether LPS-induced autophagy upregulation suppresses SCAP differentiation or LPS-induced suppression of SCAP differentiation is accompanied by autophagy upregulation requires further investigation [113].

In summary, the dual role of autophagy in dental pulp dentin-pulp tissue regeneration reflects its complex regulatory function. As we have mentioned earlier, autophagy plays different roles at different time points, and different cell types and tissues respond differently to autophagy regulation. Therefore, further exploration is needed to find a better method of autophagy regulation.