Research progress of treated dentin matrix in vital pulp therapy

There has been an increase in research interest and application of treated dentin matrix (TDM) in vital pulp therapy (VPT) in recent years. TDM has excellent biocompatibility and contains transforming growth factor-β, bone morphogenetic protein 2, and other odontogenesis/osteogenesis-related proteins and factors that promote odontogenic differentiation of dental stem cells. TDM-based products, ranging from powders and pastes to injectable composite gels and gel scaffolds, have gained increasing consensus for their ability to induce dentin-like tissue regeneration. Animal and clinical studies found that TDM has significant advantages over traditional pulp capping materials, as it can form well-organized layers of odontoblast-like cells and uniform dentinal tubule structures. Future challenges of TDM in VPT application are primarily focused on improving mechanical properties and addressing potential immune rejection issues with heterologous material use. Additionally, further studies should be conducted on the odontogenetic pathway mechanism of TDM and the immune regulatory capabilities of xenogeneic dentin matrix materials. Utilizing TDM to construct tissue engineering scaffolds for VPT presents a promising strategy. This article reviews the structure and biological properties of TDM and related materials, thoroughly examines their progresses in the field of VPT, and discusses their current challenges as well as future research directions.