I'll look into ongoing and upcoming human trials for stem cell treatments specifically for periodontitis in 2025. This research will focus on registered clinical trials, their locations, eligibility criteria, expected outcomes, and progress. I'll update you once I have the relevant details.
Stem Cell Clinical Trials for Periodontitis in 2025
Periodontitis (gum disease) is being targeted by emerging stem cell therapies worldwide. As of 2025, several ongoing or upcoming human trials are evaluating the safety and efficacy of mesenchymal stem cells (mostly dental tissue-derived) for regenerating periodontal tissues. Below we summarize key trials, their locations, criteria, goals, status, and oversight:
China: Dental Pulp Stem Cell Trials in Chronic Periodontitis
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Phase 1 Safety Trial (NCT04983225) – Beijing, China: A dose-escalation trial at Peking University Third Hospital (affiliated with Capital Medical University) with ~36 adult patients (18–65 years) who have chronic periodontitis and vertical bone defectsctv.veeva.comctv.veeva.com. Patients receive local injections of human dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) at increasing doses (with a placebo saline control) alongside standard initial periodontal therapy (scaling and root planing)ctv.veeva.com. The primary goal is to assess safety and tolerability of the stem cell treatment; secondary goals include identifying an optimal dose regimen and evaluating preliminary regenerative efficacyctv.veeva.comctv.veeva.com. This randomized, parallel assignment trial is double-blinded (patients and investigators)ctv.veeva.com. Status: Active, not recruiting (enrollment completed) as of mid-2024sigma.larvol.com, indicating the trial is ongoing in follow-up/analysis. Sponsor/oversight: Peking University Third Hospital; registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04983225) with regulatory approvalctv.veeva.comsigma.larvol.com.
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Phase 2 Efficacy Trial (NCT05924373) – Multicenter, China: A larger Phase II trial led by Peking University Third Hospital (with industry collaboration) is actively recruiting ~204 adult patients with moderate chronic periodontitis (baseline pocket depths 4–8 mm)www.centerwatch.comwww.centerwatch.com. This randomized, placebo-controlled study compares different dosing protocols of allogeneic DPSC therapy as an adjunct to scaling/root-planingwww.centerwatch.com. Participants are divided into three groups: one single-dose group and two two-dose groups (low-dose and high-dose); each group is further randomized 3:1 to receive stem cells or placebo salinewww.centerwatch.comwww.centerwatch.com. The high-dose regimen uses injections of 1×10^7 DPSCs in a saline suspension per defect site, given either once or twice (90 days apart)www.centerwatch.comwww.centerwatch.com. Goals: The primary objective is to evaluate efficacy – e.g. improvements in periodontal outcomes such as pocket depth reduction, clinical attachment gain, and bone fill – under each dosing protocolwww.centerwatch.com. Secondary objectives focus on safety (monitoring adverse events)www.centerwatch.com, and an exploratory goal is to assess changes in inflammatory biomarkers in gingival crevicular fluid after stem cell therapywww.centerwatch.com. Status: Recruiting (as of 2024)www.centerwatch.com– the trial began in late 2023 and is expected to run until ~Sept 2026www.centerwatch.com. Locations: Multiple centers in China (led from Beijing). Sponsors: Peking University Third Hospital in collaboration with a biotech partner (the trial is registered under ID NCT05924373 and also in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry as ChiCTR2300073144)pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.govwww.centerwatch.com, ensuring oversight by both U.S. and Chinese regulatory bodies.
Japan: Autologous DPSC Bone Regeneration Trial
- Autologous DPSC Pilot (jRCTb040230035) – Gifu, Japan: A Phase 1 clinical study at Gifu University Hospital is exploring the use of a patient’s own dental pulp stem cells to regenerate lost jaw bone in severe periodontitis cases. This trial (JRCT ID: jRCTb040230035, registered December 2023) is recruiting 5 participants, ages 20–70rctportal.niph.go.jprctportal.niph.go.jp, who have significant alveolar bone atrophy (insufficient bone for dental implants due to past periodontal disease or extractions). Each patient will have an impacted or unnecessary tooth extracted to harvest pulp stem cells, which are then expanded and transplanted into the jawbone defect in a minimally invasive procedurerctportal.niph.go.jp. Goals: The primary endpoint is safety of the autologous cell transplantationrctportal.niph.go.jp. Secondary outcomes include the extent of new bone formation and improvement in ridge dimensions (to ultimately support implant placement)rctportal.niph.go.jp. This small-scale trial is essentially a proof-of-concept to evaluate feasibility and bone regenerative effects. Status: Recruiting (ongoing in 2024)rctportal.niph.go.jp. Sponsor/Institution: Led by researchers at Gifu University (Dr. Yoichi Yamada as principal investigator), with oversight through Japan’s clinical research regulatory system (registered in the Japanese National Clinical Trial Portal)rctportal.niph.go.jprctportal.niph.go.jp.
Global Context and Outlook
These trials reflect a global effort to develop regenerative treatments for periodontal disease. Around the world, at least 28 clinical trials have been registered investigating dental stem cell therapies for various conditions, with periodontitis being a major targetwww.wjgnet.com. Early pilot studies in Europe and Latin America have already hinted at positive outcomes: for example, a completed trial in Mexico found that applying human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) with a collagen scaffold improved periodontal parameters over 12 months with no serious side effectswww.isrctn.comwww.isrctn.com. Similarly, a pilot in Italy (NCT03386877) used autologous pulp stem cell micrografts plus a collagen sponge in intrabony defects, showing signs of defect fill at 6 and 12 months post-treatmentwww.wjgnet.compmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. These foundational studies established that hDPSCs can safely regenerate periodontal soft tissue and bone structures in principlewww.isrctn.com, paving the way for the larger controlled trials now underway.
Importantly, all ongoing trials are registered in official trial databases (e.g. ClinicalTrials.gov, WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform) with credible oversight by health authoritieswww.wjgnet.com. This ensures that they follow ethical guidelines, have peer-reviewed protocols, and report results transparently. The current trials are mostly in Phase 1 or 2, focusing on establishing safety and optimal treatment methods. Expected outcomes include not only safety/tolerability data but also clinical efficacy measures – such as reduced pocket depths, gain of attachment, and radiographic bone fill in treated sites – compared to conventional therapy alone. Some studies are also collecting biomarker data (from blood or gum fluid) to understand the immunomodulatory effects of the stem cellswww.centerwatch.com.
As of 2025, recruitment is ongoing for these innovative trials in Asia, and their status is closely watched by the international dental community. No stem-cell based periodontal therapy is yet approved for general practice, so the results of these studies will be crucial. If they demonstrate significant periodontal regeneration and safety, they could lead to Phase 3 trials and eventually to new treatments that rebuild lost gum and bone tissue. In summary, multiple well-monitored clinical trials around the world are actively investigating stem cell therapies for periodontitis, offering hope that regenerative medicine may transform periodontal care in the coming yearswww.wjgnet.comwww.isrctn.com.