Tooth Decay Promotes Senescence in Dental Pulp Stem Cells, Modifying Their Biological and Proteomic Profiles

Dental caries is a prevalent oral health problem that significantly reduces an individual's quality of life; although, it can be effectively managed through restorative treatments. Even in cases where the caries does not reach the pulp, released microbial products from the lesion can still penetrate the pulp chamber, potentially inducing stress on pulp cells. In this study, we conducted a comparative analysis of the biological and proteomic profiles of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) isolated from clinically asymptomatic teeth with dentinal caries that had not reached the pulp and isolated from healthy teeth. Following biological evaluations, we examined proteomes of these DPSCs by conducting a shotgun proteomics approach. Our findings show that DPSCs from decayed teeth exhibit a significantly higher proportion of senescent cells. Proteomic profiling revealed upregulation of inflammatory signaling, extracellular matrix remodeling, and senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) related proteins. Additionally, we observed an upregulation in the expression of proteins associated with extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling and components of the SASP, which are hallmarks of the senescence process. The study reveals that DPSCs can be affected by stress from carious lesions, even when the pulp appears clinically intact. Senescence and inflammatory response in these affected cells may have deleterious effects on other tissues within the organism. Consequently, restorative treatments should consider targeting not only the decayed tissue but also the senescent cells within the pulp that may have been affected by the stress induced by caries.