Recruitment of dental pulp cells by dentine and pulp extracellular matrix components

► Dentine & pulp extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules are chemoattractants for primary pulp cells. ► Chemoattractant effects of ECM were enhanced following physiologically relevant degradation. ► Pulp cell migration in response to dental ECMs was dependent on an active rho pathway. ► ECM recruited pulp cells exhibited increased stem cell marker expression. ► Release of dental ECM molecules in disease contributes to cell recruitment necessary for repair.