Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41521291›Full record

ArticleStem cell research & therapy2026

Exosomal miRNA-mRNA interactions highlight MSC-like molecular signatures in dental pulp fibroblasts.

Koki Yoshida, Fumiya Harada, Osamu Uehara, Dedy Ariwansa, Tetsuro Morikawa, Kengo Iwasaki, Toshiyuki Nagasawa, Yoshihiro Abiko

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Stem cell research & therapy, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Koki YoshidaDivision of Oral Medicine and Pathology, Department of Human Biology and Pathophysiology, School of Dentistry, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, 1757 Kanazawa, Hokkaido, 061-0293, Ishikari-Tobetsu, Japan.
Fumiya HaradaDivision of Oral Maxillofacial Surgery, Department of Human Biology and Pathophysiology, School of Dentistry, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, 1757 Kanazawa, Hokkaido, 061-0293, Ishikari-Tobetsu, Japan.
Osamu UeharaDivision of Disease Control and Molecular Epidemiology, Department of Oral Growth and Development, School of Dentistry, Health Sciences, University of Hokkaido, 1757 Kanazawa, Hokkaido, 061- 0293, Ishikari-Tobetsu, Japan.
Dedy AriwansaDivision of Oral Medicine and Pathology, Department of Human Biology and Pathophysiology, School of Dentistry, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, 1757 Kanazawa, Hokkaido, 061-0293, Ishikari-Tobetsu, Japan.
Tetsuro MorikawaDivision of Oral Medicine and Pathology, Department of Human Biology and Pathophysiology, School of Dentistry, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, 1757 Kanazawa, Hokkaido, 061-0293, Ishikari-Tobetsu, Japan.
Kengo IwasakiDivision of Creative and Integrated Medicine, Advanced Medicine Research Center, Translational Research Institute for Medical Innovation (TRIMI), Osaka Dental University, 8-1 Kuzuhahanazono-cho, Hirakata-shi, 573-1121, Osaka, Japan.
Toshiyuki NagasawaDivision of Periodontology and Endodontology, Department of Oral Rehabilitation, School of Dentistry, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, 1757 Kanazawa, Hokkaido, 061-0293, Ishikari-Tobetsu, Japan.
Yoshihiro AbikoDivision of Oral Medicine and Pathology, Department of Human Biology and Pathophysiology, School of Dentistry, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, 1757 Kanazawa, Hokkaido, 061-0293, Ishikari-Tobetsu, Japan. yoshi-ab@hoku-iryo-u.ac.jp.

Funding

Japan Society for the Promotion of Science 21K17025, and 23K09220Japan Society for the Promotion of Science 23K09220
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundExosomes derived from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are increasingly recognized as promising mediators of tissue regeneration. However, most studies have focused on exosomes from purified MSC populations, and the regenerative relevance of exosomes secreted by fibroblast-dominant oral cell populations remains poorly understood. This study aimed to characterize the cell type-specific miRNA-mRNA regulatory features of exosomes released by gingival fibroblasts, periodontal ligament fibroblasts, and dental pulp fibroblasts, and to evaluate their potential links to MSC-like molecular programs.

methodsFibroblast-rich cell populations were isolated from gingiva, periodontal ligament, and dental pulp tissue from the same extracted teeth, without MSC purification. Bulk RNA-seq was performed on the cells, and exosomes were collected from culture supernatants for miRNA-seq, small RNA-seq, and RNA-seq (n = 3 donors). Cell type-specific miRNA-mRNA regulatory axes were identified based on inverse expression patterns and confirmed using experimentally validated interactions from miRTarBase.

resultsCellular transcriptomic profiling showed that dental pulp fibroblasts expressed higher levels of genes associated with stemness, osteogenic potential, and metabolic regulation, whereas gingival and periodontal ligament fibroblasts exhibited signatures related to inflammation, vesicle trafficking, and tissue homeostasis. Exosomal RNA profiling revealed distinct regulatory modules for each fibroblast type: gingival fibroblast-derived exosomes exhibited a miR-660-5p/XKR7 axis associated with apoptosis regulation; periodontal ligament fibroblast-derived exosomes displayed a miR-199a-5p/COL19A1 axis linked to extracellular matrix remodeling; and dental pulp fibroblast-derived exosomes contained multiple MSC-associated regulatory axes, including miR-1307-3p and miR-30b-3p targeting SNRPD1, miR-493-5p targeting HMGXB4, and miR-26b-5p targeting MB-HSPD1.

conclusionsExosomes derived from fibroblast-rich oral cell populations display distinct molecular signatures reflective of their tissue origins. Notably, exosomes from dental pulp fibroblasts exhibit MSC-like regulatory features. These findings suggest that exosomes from mixed fibroblast cultures, without requiring MSC purification, may hold promise as practical, cell-free regenerative tools, pending future functional validation.

Indexed as

Dental PulpExosomesFibroblastsMesenchymal Stem CellsMicroRNAsRNA, MessengerCells, CulturedGingivaHumansPeriodontal LigamentMicroRNAsRNA, MessengerDental pulp fibroblastExosomeGingival fibroblastMesenchymal stem cellmiRNA–mRNA interactionPeriodontal ligament fibroblastRegenerative medicineTranscriptome analysis

Identifiers

PMID41521291
PMCPMC12882251

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.