Fibronectin and Its Applications in Dentistry and Periodontics: A Cell Behaviour Conditioner

The formation of biomaterials is a physical phenomenon that is primarily influenced by the material's chemical and physical characteristics, as well as by the availability of proteins and their mutual interactions. A common extracellular matrix (ECM) glycoprotein called fibronectin (FN) is a biomaterial that is essential for tissue repair. Cellular FN (cFN), also known as the "large external transformation sensitive (LETS) protein" or "galactoprotein," was found during the quest for tumour markers twenty-five years ago and was later identified as the surface fibroblast antigen. Twenty different isoforms of the FN protein can be created by alternative splicing of a single pre-messenger ribonucleic acid (pre-mRNA) molecule. FN is an outstanding illustration of an ECM protein that intricately influences cell activity. FN is necessary for cell behaviours like cell adhesion, cell migration, and differentiation of cells as well as highly coordinated tissue processes like morphogenesis and wound repair. Plasma FN is absorbed by tissues and deposited in extracellular matrix fibrils along with locally generated cellular FN. cFN is produced by a wide range of cell types, including fibroblasts, endothelial cells, chondrocytes, synovial cells, and myocytes. FN and other cell adhesion proteins can promote cell attachment to tooth surfaces. Periodontal ligament (PDL) cell-ECM interactions, and consequently the regeneration of periodontal tissues, depends on FN. Specific FN segments serve as indicators of periodontal disease status and provide evidence for their potential involvement in the pathophysiology of the condition. FN is an all-purpose biomaterial that may be utilised for clinical applications ranging from tissue engineering to disease biology. Therefore, it would be desirable to develop materials that specifically bind to FN.