University of Hong Kong Team's GSK-3β-Blocking Peptide L803-mts Rebuilds Dentin in Injured Rat Teeth at Density Similar to Standard MTA
Dental researchers at the University of Hong Kong reported in the International Endodontic Journal on October 26, 2026 that L803-mts, a peptide that inhibits the enzyme GSK-3β and so activates Wnt signaling, increased mineral formation and dentin-building markers in dental pulp stem cells under inflammatory conditions and shifted macrophages toward an anti-inflammatory state. In a rat pulp-injury model, new dentin made with L803-mts reached a mineral density similar to mineral trioxide aggregate, the standard capping material (1.17 vs 1.32 gHA/cm³), but with lower mineral volume (0.03 vs 0.06 mm³). The authors see it as a candidate for vital pulp therapy; the work has not been tested in people.