2025 Volume No 53 – pages 41-51
Title: ANX A1 promotes the odontogenic differentiation of dental pulp stem cells |
Authors: YZ Hou, J Wang, L Zhao |
Address: Department of Stomatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, 710060 Xi’an, Shaanxi, China |
E-mail: liangzhao_xjtufh at 163.com |
Abstract: Background: Annexin A1 (ANX A1) plays a vital role in cell proliferation and differentiation, but its function in dental pulp stem cell (DPSC) odontogenic differentiation remains unclear. This study aims to investigate whether ANX A1 can boost the odontogenic differentiation of DPSCs and determine the molecular mechanisms involved. Methods: Rat DPSCs were cultured in vitro, and a stable knockdown cells for ANX A1 (Sh-ANX A1) and ANX A1 overexpression (Ad-ANX A1) cell line was established using short hairpin RNA (shRNA) and overexpression. Cell proliferation, migration, and alkaline phosphatase activity were detected using Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), cell migration assay, and alkaline phosphatase activity assay. Alizarin red S staining, reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), Western blot, and immunofluorescence cell staining were used to assess the capacity for mineral synthesis, expression of odontogenic-related genes, and phosphorylation of P38 MAPK and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2). Results: Third-generation DPSCs have the potential for adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation. The proliferation level, migration capacity, alkaline phosphatase activity, mineral synthesis capacity and expression of DPSC odontogenic-related genes were significantly suppressed by ANX A1 knockdown and boosted by ANX A1 overexpression (p < 0.05). Moreover, the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and osteopontin, runt-related transcription factor 2, and alkaline phosphatase during odontogenic differentiation were significantly promoted by ANX A1 overexpression and inhibited by ANX A1 knockdown (p < 0.05). Conclusions: ANX A1 promotes the odontogenic differentiation of DPSCs by activating the ERK/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. The results offer new insights for dental regenerative medicine. |
Keywords: Annexin A1, DPSCs, odontogenic differentiation, extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2. |
Publication date: 31st October 2025 |
Copyright policy: © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Forum Multimedia Publishing, LLC. This article is distributed in accordance with Creative Commons Attribution Licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). |
Article download: Pages 41-51 (PDF file) |
