The ultimate goal of periodontal treatments is the regeneration of all lost periodontal tissues including bone, cementum and the periodontal ligament (PDL). Until now, the clinical methods for periodontal regeneration have been associated with significant failure or incomplete success. Various studies have reported the promising effects of growth factors/cytokines on periodontal regeneration. Growth factors/cytokines include proteins or steroid hormones that bind to cellular receptors, known as signalling molecules, and that trigger cellular responses that eventually stimulate cell proliferation and differentiation. The present review aims to provide an overview of the main growth factors that play an important role in and have been used in the regeneration of periodontal components.
Keywords: cementogenesis; growth factors; osteogenesis; periodontal regeneration; stem cells.