Human gingival mesenchymal stem cells retain their growth and immunomodulatory characteristics independent of donor age.

Aging has been reported to deteriorate the quantity and quality of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which affect their therapeutic use in regenerative medicine. A dearth of age-related stem cell research further restricts their clinical applications. The present study explores the possibility of using MSCs derived from human gingival tissues (GMSCs) for studying their ex vivo growth characteristics and differentiation potential with respect to donor age. GMSCs displayed decreased in vitro adipogenesis and in vitro and in vivo osteogenesis with age, but in vitro neurogenesis remained unaffected. An increased expression of p53 and SIRT1 with donor age was correlated to their ability of eliminating tumorigenic events through apoptosis or autophagy, respectively. Irrespective of donor age, GMSCs displayed effective immunoregulation and regenerative potential in a mouse model of LPS-induced acute lung injury. Thus, we suggest the potential of GMSCs for designing cell-based immunomodulatory therapeutic approaches and their further extrapolation for acute inflammatory conditions such as acute respiratory distress syndrome and COVID-19.

Sjögren's Syndrome: A Case Study.

Sjögren syndrome is chronic, systemic autoimmune disease characterized by lymphocytic infiltration of the exocrine glands. It is an elaborate involvement of the lacrimal and salivary glands, which eventually lead to keratoconjunctivitis sicca and xerostomia. It may occur in two forms - Primary and secondary, which is associated with another autoimmune disease, most commonly rheumatoid arthritis. Numerous criteria were proposed for diagnosis of Sjögren syndrome. Most widely accepted are American and European group developed international classification criteria for Sjögrens syndrome. These criteria include ocular symptoms, oral symptoms, ocular signs, histopathology, salivary gland involvement and sialography. The classification requires four of the six items, one of which must be positive minor salivary gland biopsy or a positive antibody test. Early diagnosis is important to prevent further complications. The aim of this paper is to emphasis on oral changes, advanced diagnosis, and management of Sjögren's syndrome.

Alveolar ridge augmentation with autogenous mental block harvested using ultrasonic bone surgery (USBS) and platelet rich plasma: a case report.

Predictable reconstruction of alveolar ridge defects can be obtained by using autogenous bone block. Ultrasonic bone surgery (USBS) is a fast, precise, and simple technique for block graft harvesting. It allows for a clean surgical field with no risk of injury to surrounding neurovascular structures. This article describes a case of horizontal alveolar ridge defect augmented with mental bone block harvested using USBS. The defect was overcorrected using bovine derived xenograft and platelet rich plasma, which is an autologous source of growth factors that helps in early graft consolidation. Platelet poor plasma (PPP) membrane was used for graft containment. After six months, on exposure, it was observed that the block graft was integrated with the alveolar ridge, resulting in increased ridge width. This was confirmed on dentascan and 3D reconstruction images. Implants were placed and restored with satisfactory aesthetic and functional outcome.