Application of biological factor in cementum regeneration

At the present day, curettage and periodontal surgery comprise the main strategy for the treatment of periodontitis, however, these methods are limited in regenerating cementum. It has been found that some biological factors such asenamel matrix derivative (EMD), transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and insulin-like growth factor (IGF) could promote cementum regeneration. In the cementum regenerationstudies, there has been a lack of criteria to distinguish cementum from alveolar bone and other types of cementum. Therefore, this article will briefly review the biological factors that affect the cementum regeneration and the molecular markers used to judge the regenerating cementum. Key words: Biological factors; Dental cementum regeneration; Enamel matrix derivative