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Background: Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by progressive alveolar bone loss. This study explored the role of exosomes derived from periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs-Exo) in repairing alveolar bone defects in periodontitis.
Results: PDLSCs-Exo significantly promoted new bone formation and collagen deposition in the defect area while reducing pro-inflammatory factors and enhancing M2 macrophage polarization. The knockdown of semaphorin 4D (SEMA4D) or plexin B1 (PLXNB1) further enhanced exosome-mediated repair, whereas their overexpression attenuated it. Additionally, the upregulation of PLXNB1 reversed the reparative effects of SEMA4D downregulation on alveolar bone defects in periodontitis.
Conclusions: PDLSCs-Exo promotes M2 macrophage polarization by inhibiting the SEMA4D/PLXNB1 axis, alleviating local inflammation and accelerating alveolar bone defect repair in periodontitis. This finding provides a novel theoretical basis for the clinical treatment of periodontitis-related alveolar bone defects and identifies potential therapeutic targets for improving the efficacy of bone defect repair.
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