Biomedical engineering breakthroughs and increased patient expectations and requests for more comprehensive care are propelling the field of regenerative dentistry forward at a fast pace. Stem cells (SCs), bioactive compounds, and scaffolds are the mainstays of tissue engineering, the backbone of regenerative dentistry. Repairing damaged teeth and gums is a significant scientific problem at present. Novel therapeutic approaches for tooth and periodontal healing have been inspired by tissue engineering based on mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Furthermore, as a component of the MSC secretome, extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been shown to contribute to periodontal tissue repair and regeneration. The scaffold, made of an artificial extracellular matrix (ECM), acts as a supporting structure for new cell development and tissue formation. To effectively promote cell development, a scaffold must be non-toxic, biodegradable, biologically compatible, low in immunogenicity, and safe. Due to its promising biological characteristics for cell regeneration, dental tissue engineering has recently received much attention for its use of natural or synthetic polymer scaffolds with excellent mechanical properties, such as small pore size and a high surface-to-volume ratio, as a matrix. Moreover, as a bioactive material for carrying MSC-EVs, the combined application of scaffolds and MSC-EVs has a better regenerative effect on dental diseases. In this paper, we discuss how MSCs and MSC-derived EV treatment may be used to regenerate damaged teeth, and we highlight the role of various scaffolds in this process.
Mesenchymal Stem Cells , Stomatognathic Diseases , Humans , Regenerative Medicine , Tissue Engineering , Stem Cells
OBJECTIVE: Saffron was found efficient and safe in treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders, in particular depression. We compared the efficacy of saffron with duloxetine in treatment of patients with fibromyalgia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this double-blind parallel-group clinical trial, outpatients with fibromyalgia were randomized to receive either saffron 15 mg or duloxetine 30 mg starting with 1 capsule per day in the first week followed by 2 capsules per day from week 2 until the end of week 8. Participants were men and women aged 18-60 years diagnosed with fibromyalgia based on the American College of Rheumatology 2010 criteria who also had a pain score≥40 based on visual analogue scale. Participants were excluded in case they had rheumatologic diseases, inflammatory/infectious/autoimmune arthritis, comorbid neuropsychiatric disorders except depressive disorders, pain due to traumatic injuries, drug history of duloxetine or saffron use, current use of psychoactive medications, recent use of muscle relaxants, steroids, opioid analgesics, benzodiazepines, anti-epileptics, or injective analgesics. Primary outcomes included differences in mean score changes from baseline to endpoint between the treatment arms for Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire, and Brief Pain Inventory. RESULTS: Socio-demographic characteristics and baseline scores were similarly distributed between the two treatment arms (2n=46). No significant difference was detected for any of the scales neither in terms of score changes from baseline to endpoint between the two treatment arms (Mean score changes: -4.26 to 2.37; p-values: 0.182-0.900) nor in terms of timetreatment interactions (p-values: 0.209-0.964). CONCLUSIONS: Saffron and duloxetine demonstrated comparable efficacy in treatment of fibromyalgia symptoms.
