{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,22]],"date-time":"2026-09-22T12:04:05Z","timestamp":1790078645834,"version":"4.0.1"},"reference-count":37,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,18]],"date-time":"2026-09-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1789689600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Dent. J.","Dentistry Journal"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: MXenes (transition metal carbides, nitrides, and carbonitrides) are promising 2D nanomaterials for biomedical applications due to their high conductivity, mechanical strength, and hydrophilicity. This study investigated the concentration-dependent effects of Ti3C2Tx MXenes on the viability, mineralization, and odontogenic differentiation of human dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs). Methods: Ti3C2Tx MXenes were synthesized and characterized by Scanning Electron Microscope with Energy Dispersive X-ray (SEM\/EDX), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), zeta potential, UV-Vis, and conductivity analysis. DPSCs were characterized by their mesenchymal stem cell phenotype (CD73+, CD90+, CD105+, CD34\u2212, CD45\u2212). Cells were exposed to 10, 50, and 100 \u00b5g\/mL MXenes. Cell viability was assessed by (3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) MTT assay and apoptosis was evaluated using Annexin V-FITC staining. Mineralization was assessed by Alizarin Red S staining. Odontogenic differentiation was evaluated by qPCR for DSPP, RUNX2, and OCN. Results: Characterization confirmed successful MXene synthesis with a zeta potential of \u221222 mV and conductivity of 6110 S\/cm. MXenes at 10 and 50 \u00b5g\/mLmaintained viability above 100%, while 100 \u00b5g\/mL reduced viability to 65.6% at day 14 (p &lt; 0.01). Apoptosis rates at 10 and 50 \u00b5g\/mL (5.1% and 6.8%) were not significantly different from the control (4.2%), whereas 100 \u00b5g\/mL significantly increased apoptosis to 28.4% (p &lt; 0.01). Mineralization was enhanced at 10 and 50 \u00b5g\/mL (p &lt; 0.05 and p &lt; 0.01) but reduced at 100 \u00b5g\/mL (p &lt; 0.01). Gene expression of DSPP, RUNX2, and OCN was upregulated 2\u20133-fold at 10\u201350 \u00b5g\/mL but suppressed at 100 \u00b5g\/mL (p &lt; 0.01). Conclusions: Ti3C2Tx MXenes exert concentration-dependent effects on DPSCs. Moderate concentrations (10\u201350 \u00b5g\/mL) promote metabolic activity, mineralization, and odontogenic differentiation, while high concentrations (100 \u00b5g\/mL) induce apoptosis and cytotoxicity. These findings support the therapeutic potential of MXenes in regenerative dentistry, provided that concentration thresholds are carefully controlled.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/dj14090607","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,22]],"date-time":"2026-09-22T10:21:48Z","timestamp":1790072508000},"page":"607","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Concentration-Dependent Effects of MXenes on Viability and Odontogenic Differentiation of Human Dental Pulp Stem Cells"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Mariam","family":"Mowafy","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Biotechnology, Misr University for Science and Technology, Giza 12566, Egypt"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"conceptualization","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"methodology","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9069-906X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nada","family":"Desouky","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Oral Biology Department, Faculty of Dentistry, Modern University for Technology and Information, Cairo 12055, Egypt"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"methodology","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"validation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"investigation","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"given":"Marwa","family":"Samir","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Oral Biology Department, Faculty of Dentistry, Modern University for Technology and Information, Cairo 12055, Egypt"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"conceptualization","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"data-curation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"validation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"visualization","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"given":"Alaa","family":"Omar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Nanomedicine Research Unit, Delta University for Science and Technology, Gamasa 11152, Egypt"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"validation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"data-curation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-original-draft","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"investigation","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2522-8082","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rehab","family":"Abdelmonem","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Industrial Pharmacy Department, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Manufacturing, Misr University for Science and Technology, Giza 12566, Egypt"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"supervision","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"visualization","vocabulary":"credit"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"18595","DOI":"10.1007\/s10853-025-11461-w","article-title":"2D MXenes for biomedical applications-recent advances, challenges, and future perspectives","volume":"60","author":"Kumar","year":"2025","journal-title":"J. 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