EVIDENCE | 1-MINUTE READ
Published: February 2026
Inflammatory radicular cysts: what did the researchers investigate?
A systematic review examined the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying inflammatory radicular cyst formation, focusing on the proliferation of epithelial rests of Malassez and the transformation of periapical granulomas.
The review included 14 studies involving 399 samples.
What did the researchers find?
- Inflammatory cytokines: IL-1β and IL-6 were associated with epithelial proliferation.
- Growth factors: EGF, KGF, TGF-β and IGF were implicated in the regulatory mechanisms examined.
- Signaling pathways: NF-κB, MAPK/ERK, PI3K/AKT and Smad were involved in the processes investigated.
- Cellular markers: Ki-67, PCNA and CD34 were consistently associated with epithelial proliferation, while MMP-13 emerged as a regulator of epithelial behavior and matrix remodeling.
According to the authors, cyst formation involves a shift from normal cellular regulation toward pathological signaling driven by chronic periapical inflammation.
What does this mean for your clinical practice?
Inflammatory radicular cyst development is associated with complex molecular processes involving inflammation and epithelial proliferation.
The review synthesizes tissue and cell studies. It does not establish that these markers can currently predict clinical cyst formation or guide the selection of a specific treatment.
Original article:
Biological mechanisms underlying the inflammatory radicular cyst formation-focus on epithelial proliferation: a systematic review of experimental cell and tissue models.
Source: Read the original study