Single-cell transcriptomics analysis reveals extracellular matrix remodelling in carious human dental pulp

The carious lesion is a bacteria caused destruction of tooth mineralized matrices marked by concurrent tissue reparative and immune responses in the dental pulp. While major molecular players in tooth pulp decay have been uncovered, a detailed map of the molecular and cellular landscape of the diseased pulp is still missing. Here we used single-cell RNA sequencing analysis, to generate a comprehensive single-cell atlas of the carious human dental pulp tissue. Our data demonstrated modifications in various cell clusters of the carious pulp, such as immune cells, mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) and fibroblasts, when compared to the healthy dental pulp. These changes include upregulation of genes encoding extracellular matrix (ECM) components and the enrichment of the fibroblast cluster with myofibroblasts. Assessment of the Fibronectin fibres mechanical strain showed a significant tension reduction in the carious human pulp, compared to the healthy one. Collectively, the present data demonstrate molecular, cellular and biomechanical alterations in the carious pulp tissue, indicative of extensive ECM remodelling and reminiscent of fibrosis observed in other organs.