Browsing by Author "Bravo Guapisaca, Maria Isabel"

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Adipokines in dental pulp: physiological, pathological, and potential therapeutic roles
(2021) Gavidia Pazmiño, Jonathan Francisco; Intriago Morales, Ruth Viviana; Bravo Guapisaca, Maria Isabel; Álvarez Vásquez, José Luis
Background: Hundreds of adipokines have been identified, and their extensive range of endocrine functions- regulating distant organs such as oral tissues- and local autocrine/paracrine roles have been studied. In dentistry, however, adipokines are poorly known proteins in the dental pulp; few of them have been studied despite their large number. This study reviews recent advances in the investigation of dental-pulp adipokines, with an emphasis on their roles in inflammatory processes and their potential therapeutic applications. Highlights: The most recently identified adipokines in dental pulp include leptin, adiponectin, resistin, ghrelin, oncostatin, chemerin, and visfatin. They have numerous physiological and pathological functions in the pulp tissue: they are closely related to pulp inflammatory mechanisms and actively participate in cell differentiation, mineralization, angiogenesis, and immune-system modulation. Conclusion: Adipokines have potential clinical applications in regenerative endodontics and as biomarkers or targets for the pharmacological management of inflammatory and degenerative processes in dental pulp. A promising direction for the development of new therapies may be the use of agonists/antagonists to modulate the expression of the most studied adipokines.