Stem Cell and Oxidative Stress-Inflammation Cycle

Abstract

Under a variety of physical and experimental settings, stem cells are able to self-renew and differentiate into specialized adult cells. MSCs (mesenchymal stromal/stem cells) are multipotent stem cells present in a wide range of fetal, embryonic, and adult tissues. They are the progenitors of a variety of specialized cells and are considered crucial tools in tissue engineering. MSCs, derived from various tissues, including cord blood, placenta, bone marrow, and dental tissues, have been extensively examined in tissue repair, immune modulation, etc. Increasing the vitality of MSCs and restoring cellular mechanisms are important factors in treatment success. Oxidative stress harms cellular molecules such as DNA, proteins, and lipids due to the overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) in cells and tissues or insufficiency of antioxidant systems that can inactivate them. Oxidative stress has a close link with inflammation as a pathophysiological process. ROS can mediate the expression of proinflammatory genes via intracellular signaling pathways and initiate the chronic inflammatory state. At the same time, inflammatory cells secrete a large number of reactive species that cause increased oxidative stress at sites of inflammation. In inflammatory diseases, the differentiation of stem cells and the regenerative and wound healing process can be affected differently by the increase of oxidative stress. Recent studies have indicated that dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs), as a resource of adult stem cells, are an attractive option for cell therapy in diseases such as neurological diseases, diabetes, cardiological diseases, etc., as well as its treatment potential in pulp inflammation. The future of oxidative stressinflammation cycle and/or ageing therapies involves the selective elimination of senescent cells, also known as senolysis, which prevents various age-related diseases. Most pathologies are implicated on the effects of ageing without exerting undesirable side effects.

Keywords: Mesenchymal stem cells; ROS; dental pulp stem cells; inflammation; oxidative stress; reactive nitrogen species (RNS).