Helen He

• Professor, chief physician, PhD supervisor.
• Director of the Orthodontic Teaching and Research Department, and Chair of the first Department of Orthodontics, the School of Stomatology, Wuhan University.
• President-elect of Chinese Orthodontics Society.
• Standing Committee Member of the Sleep Medicine Specialized Committee of the Chinese Physicians Association (CPA).
• Fellow of the International Dental College (FIDC)
• Membership in Orthodontics of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (MOrth RCS) and Examination Committee Member
• Honorary Professor at the School of Dentistry of the University of Hong Kong
• Member of the Editorial Board of Seminars in Orthodontics.
• Published more than 100 SCI papers as first author or corresponding author.

Lecture Details

Cementoblasts are pivotal for cementum formation and root integrity, yet their molecular regulation under inflammatory and orthodontic stress remains incompletely understood. This study synthesizes evidence on key signaling pathways and molecular regulators influencing cementoblast differentiation and mineralization. Inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α and IL-1β, suppress cementoblast mineralization and differentiation by activating pathways including p53, Stat3, MAPKs, and NF-κB, while inducing apoptosis, autophagy, and matrix degradation (e.g., via MMP-9 and MMP-13). Conversely, positive regulators like irisin enhance differentiation through p38 MAPK activation, and non-coding RNAs, including circLRP6 and circHIPK3 promote mineralization. The FTO/RUNX2 axis emerges as critical for normal and inflammation-impaired cementogenesis, with FTO depletion exacerbating inflammatory responses. Notably, TGF-β signaling upregulates osteoprotegerin (OPG) via Smads and AP-1, inhibiting osteoclastogenesis and protecting against root resorption. Orthodontic applications reveal that growth hormone (GH) administration reduces root resorption by modulating RANKL/OPG and IGF-I, while localized TGF-β1 delivery mitigates orthodontically induced inflammatory root resorption (OIRR). These findings elucidate a complex molecular network that orchestrates cementoblast functions, offering therapeutic insights for preserving root integrity during orthodontic treatment, particularly in inflammation-prone scenarios.

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Learning Objectives:

1) Identify key molecular mechanismsgoverning cementoblast differentiation, mineralization, and apoptosis under inflammatory conditions (e.g., TNF-α, IL-1β) and their roles in orthodontic root integrity.

2) Evaluate emerging regulators(non-coding RNAs, FTO/RUNX2 axis, TGF-β/Smads/AP-1) that orchestrate cementogenesis and their dual roles in physiological and inflammatory environments.

3) Assess translational strategiestargeting molecular pathways (e.g., growth hormone, circRNA axes, TGF-β) to mitigate orthodontically induced root resorption (OIRR) and optimize treatment outcomes.