by Bioengineer.org –
Periodontitis is one of the most common chronic diseases on the planet, and its signature damage is deceptively quiet: the gradual destruction of the bone and soft tissues that anchor teeth in the jaw. Once that supporting architecture erodes, it rarely rebuilds itself, and age makes the problem worse. The stem cells that normally orchestrate repair in the periodontium lose their vigor over time, becoming senescent, less proliferative, and less capable of laying down new bone. Now a research team at Sichuan University reports that a single secreted protein, insulin-like growth factor binding protein 5, or IGFBP5, can reverse many of these aging-related deficits in dental follicle stem cells, and that packaging the rejuvenated cells inside an engineered hydrogel measurably improves bone regeneration in a rat model of periodontitis. The work, led by Professor Jun Liu of the Department of Orthodontics at West China Hospital of Stomatology, was published online in Volume 18 of the International Journal of Oral Science on September 15, 2026.
