Regenerative Therapy and Osteoimmunology in Dental Medicine

Regenerative therapy and osteoimmunology are rapidly advancing, closely connected fields in dental medicine with the potential to reshape clinical care and long-term patient outcomes. Oral and maxillofacial tissues-including periodontal structures, salivary glands, and alveolar/maxillofacial bone-are biologically complex, and successful regeneration requires more than structural repair: it depends on precise control of cellular signaling, biomaterial integration, and host immune responses. A growing body of evidence highlights the intricate crosstalk between immune cells and skeletal tissues in the oral environment, underscoring inflammation’s dual role as both a driver of tissue destruction and a prerequisite for effective healing.Contemporary regenerative strategies span dental stem cell–based approaches, growth factors and other bioactive molecules, biomimetic and bioactive scaffolds, and emerging cell-free therapies that aim to enhance endogenous repair. These approaches increasingly intersect with advanced technologies such as 3D bioprinting, gene and molecular modulation, smart biomaterials, and drug delivery systems (DDS). In parallel, osteoimmunology provides a mechanistic framework for understanding how immune cells, cytokines, chemokines, and inflammatory pathways regulate osteoblast/osteoclast activity, bone remodeling, and the progression of diseases such as periodontitis, peri-implantitis, and maxillofacial bone defects. Recent studies further show that immune mediators directly influence stem cell fate, biomaterial–tissue integration, and regenerative outcomes-making immunomodulation a central lever for improving predictability and durability of treatment.Despite substantial progress, major challenges remain in translating laboratory discoveries into reliable clinical protocols. Key unresolved questions include identifying optimal immunological and molecular targets, defining the timing and duration of intervention, standardizing outcome measures, and clarifying long-term safety and performance of osteoimmunomodulatory strategies. Addressing these gaps will require interdisciplinary efforts that integrate immunology, bone biology, materials science, cell biology, bioengineering, and clinical dentistry, with a focus on bridging basic mechanisms to clinically actionable therapies and personalized decision-making.This Research Topic aims to deepen understanding of immune-skeletal-tissue interactions that shape oral tissue regeneration and to accelerate translational and clinical advances in osteoimmunology-informed regenerative dental medicine. We welcome submissions spanning fundamental, translational, and clinical research-including studies that propose biomarkers, therapeutic guidelines, or precision strategies to modulate inflammation, optimize healing, enhance implant integration, and improve long-term outcomes.We encourage contributions addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:• Immune modulation in dental stem cell–based and cell-free regenerative therapies• Osteoimmune responses to biomaterials, smart scaffolds, implants, and 3D-bioprinted constructs• Cytokine/chemokine networks and inflammatory microenvironments in periodontal and bone regeneration• Molecular mechanisms governing immune–skeletal cell crosstalk (including osteoblast–osteoclast–immune interactions)• Targeted therapeutics (molecules/pathways) for inflammation control and regenerative enhancement in dental tissues• Drug delivery systems (DDS) and pharmacological strategies supporting regenerative dental medicine• Biomarker discovery and predictive tools for regenerative outcomes and patient stratification• Translational frameworks, clinical trials, and case studies in periodontal, peri-implant, salivary gland, and maxillofacial regeneration Topic editors: Kenta Yamamoto, Yasuyuki SHIMADA Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/78629/regenerative-therapy-and-osteoimmunology-in-dental-medicine