Microspheres have been widely utilised as versatile carriers in biomedical applications. In recent years, as a new type of injectable scaffold, microspheres have attracted increasing attention in the field of regenerative medicine owing to their various advantages including their small size, large specific surface area and mimicry of the 3D native environment. These characteristics enable them to adopt the narrow and irregular anatomy of the tooth and become an ideal scaffold for endodontic regeneration. Microspheres play an important role in carrying biologics (cells, biomolecules and drugs), which effectively regulate the fate of stem cells and control the release of growth factors and drugs. Cell-laden microspheres, which can be divided into microcarriers and microcapsules, have great application prospects in dental pulp regeneration. This paper summarises the properties and characteristics of microsphere scaffolds used in tissue engineering, placing emphasis on their advantages and applications in endodontic regeneration.
Keywords: dental pulp; endodontic regeneration; microcapsules; microcarriers; microspheres.