The role of myofibroblasts in orthodontic tooth movement

Myofibroblasts are fibroblasts with contractile function. As a contractile cell, myofibroblasts can regulate the function of normal organs in normal tissues. After tissue injury, myofibroblasts play an important role in mediating injury repair, but at the same time, myofibroblasts can also play an abnormal role in the formation of exocytic matrix during tissue fibrosis. This article reviews the relevant literature and discusses the role of myofibroblasts in orthodontic tooth movement. The literature review shows that mechanical stress and chemical stimulation can significantly promote the differentiation of precursor cells into myofibroblasts. TGF-β, Rho and Hippo signal transduction pathways play an important regulatory role in the differentiation process. Orthodontic tooth movement is a complex process of periodontal tissue remodeling, in which the periodontal ligament and gingiva are important periodontal soft tissues. In vivo studies have shown a large number of differentiated myofibroblasts in the tension-side periodontal ligament. Myofibroblasts participate in the remodeling of the periodontal ligament during orthodontic tooth movement and thus are closely related to orthodontic tooth movement.