The possible role of basic fibroblast growth factor in dental pulp.

Abstract

Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) are growth factors that play an important role in tooth development, repair, and regeneration. Of the FGF families, basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) has been the most frequently investigated in dentistry. Numerous studies have reported advantages of bFGF, while others did not find any additional benefit. This review gives a comprehensive summary of the potential role of bFGF in dental pulp wound healing and regeneration in connection with cell proliferation and differentiation, angiogenesis, and neural differentiation from both in vitro and in vivo studies. Furthermore, the possible underlying mechanisms associated with bFGF in promoting dental pulp wound healing are discussed in this review.