The emerging role of extracellular Ca²⁺ in osteo/odontogenic differentiation and the involvement of intracellular Ca²⁺ signaling: From osteoblastic cells to dental pulp cells and odontoblasts

Abstract

Calcium ions (Ca ) is the main element of dental pulp capping materials. Ca signaling plays a crucial role in a myriad of cell activities. An overwhelming array of studies have already reported the experimental and clinical benefits of Ca -enriched materials in the treatment of teeth with accidental vital pulp exposure and incomplete root formation. Thus, Ca signaling has always been an excellent target for the design of various novel biomaterials for use in revitalizing or regenerative endodontic procedures. However, the molecular mechanisms that enable dental pulp cells (DPCs) to detect and respond to extracellular Ca have not been characterized in detail before. In this review, we mainly outline the pathways by which the cell detects and responds to extracellular Ca , as well as the relevant regulatory paths in DPCs and odontoblasts, and discuss the potential role of Ca as a therapeutic tool. Moreover, because DPCs share many of the same functional properties that are found in osteoblasts, some comparisons with bone cells were additionally incorporated into this text.

Cells at the Edge: The Dentin–Bone Interface in Zebrafish Teeth

“…He regarded odontoblasts as a special kind of osteoblasts. It is indeed remarkable how similar both cells are functionally (An, 2018). Even today, very often no distinction is made between both cell types and reference is simply made to "osteo/odontogenic differentiation" (e.g., Lin et al, 2019).…”

A novel bio‐active adhesive monomer induces odontoblast differentiation: a comparative study

“…Cellular Ca 2+ homeostasis is maintained through the integrated and coordinated function of Ca 2+ transport molecules, Ca 2+ buffers and sensors (Krebs et al 2015). Cellular Ca 2+ uptake and extrusion are mediated by a variety of channels located in the plasma membrane, which results in changes in the free Ca 2+ concentration (An 2019). Calcium ions may be partially released from CMET, where they are then absorbed into cells through Ca 2+ Figure The persistence of each material on cell mineralization was measured after few weeks of storage.…”

How far do calcium release measurements properly reflect its multiple roles in dental tissue mineralization?

“…At the cellular level, calcium acts as a ubiquitous second messenger with multiple physiological roles on intracellular mechanisms such as proliferation and cell differentiation by activating protein kinases. This explains the fact that calcium ion release from pulp capping materials is investigated in vitro for their potential in inducing odontoblastic differentiation and mineralization [1]. However, studies evaluating the calcium concentration released from the materials are never directly related to the pulp effects of these concentrations and the link between these events remains speculative.…”