BONE GRAFTING STIMULATES PRECURSOR CELLS TO DIFFERENTIATE AND PROMOTE REGENERATION

A. Coppola^1*, R. Padula², A. Annicchiarico³ and C. Annicchiarico³

¹ Private practice, Studio Armando Coppola, Corso Garibaldi 246, 80141 Naples, Italy;
² Clinical and experimental biology, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy;
³ Independent Researcher, University of Bari, 70100 Bari, Italy.

*Correspondence to:
Armando Coppola,
Private practice, Studio Armando Coppola,
Corso Garibaldi 246,
80141 Naples, Italy.
e-mail: armandocoppola70@gmail.com

Received: 25 September, 2024 Accepted: 10 December, 2024

ISSN 2975-044X (online) ISSN 2038-4106 (print) Copyright © by BIOLIFE 2024 This publication and/or article is for individual use only and may not be further reproduced without written permission from the copyright holder. Unauthorized reproduction may result in financial and other penalties. Disclosure: All authors report no conflicts of interest relevant to this article.

ABSTRACT

Transplant rejection occurs when the host’s immune system attacks the transplanted organ. However, the transplanted organ can also reject the recipient host. In this case, the reaction is called “graft versus host” (GVH). There are three types of transplant rejection: acute, hyperacute, and chronic. In chronic rejection, activation of the immune system leads to fibrosis of the blood vessels of the transplanted organ and loss of the organ. Bone marrow transplantation is a very useful and life-saving procedure, but it requires careful planning and ongoing monitoring to manage the risks. To reduce the risk of rejection, the donor must have human leukocyte antigen (HLA) that matches with the recipient, and the recipient must be treated with immunosuppressants. Bone graft materials attract and stimulate precursor cells from surrounding tissues and the bloodstream. These materials act as a physical scaffold to participate in the growth and formation of new bone by providing a surface for attachment and causing osteoblasts to proliferate, which is an important process in implantology and periodontal therapies. Osteoblasts play a crucial role in bone grafting and regeneration, and successful implant osseointegration is highly dependent on osteoblasts depositing new bone matrix around the implant surface. The wnt/β-catenin pathway promotes biological effects on osteoblasts and enhances bone formation and regeneration. Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) 2 and 7 are strong inducers of osteoblast differentiation from mesenchymal stem cells and runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) is a good regulator of osteoblast differentiation. In periodontitis, an altered level of cytokines occurs, leading to inflammatory phenomena involving osteoblasts. Here, we discuss bone grafting in dentistry and the problems related to rejection, periodontal tissue regeneration, and the role of osteoblasts.

KEYWORDS: Bone graft, transplant, rejection, bone marrow, immunity, dentistry