Research progress on the adult mesenchymal stem cells in the temporomandibular joint

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is the structural basis of mandibular movements, but its poor self-repairing ability makes the cartilage and bone defects hard to regenerate under pathological conditions. Adult mesenchymal stem cells（MSCs）have become a research hotspot in the tissue repairing of the TMJ due to their ability to differentiate toward chondrocytes and osteocytes. This article will focus on adult MSCs in the TMJ and review their recent research progress.