Insulin-like growth factor 1 promotes the proliferation and committed differentiation of human dental pulp stem cells through MAPK pathways.

Objectives: Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) is a broad-spectrum growth-promoting factor that plays a key role in natural tooth development. Human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) are multipotent and can influence the reparative regeneration of dental pulp and dentin. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of IGF-1 on the proliferation and differentiation of human dental pulp stem cells.

Mechanical stress stimulates the osteo/odontoblastic differentiation of human stem cells from apical papilla via erk 1/2 and JNK MAPK pathways.

Background Information: Stem cells from apical papilla (SCAPs) are a potent candidate for the apexogenesis/apexification due to their multiple differentiation capacity. During the orthodontic treatment of developing teeth, SCAPs in vivo are usually subjected to the cyclic stress induced by compression forces. However, it remains unclear whether mechanical stress can affect the proliferation and differentiation of human SCAPs.