The Role of Hypoxia in the Regulation of Osteogenesis and Angiogenesis Coupling in Intraoral Regenerative Procedures: A Review of the Literature

Intraoral bone grafting is routinely employed for implant site development. Bone graft consolidation is a complex biologic process depending on the formation of blood vessels into the augmented area. Hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) and hypoxia-mimicking agents (HMAs) are key stimulators of blood vessel formation. Hypoxia prevents HIFs from degradation, thus signaling angiogenesis. Under normoxia, HMAs prevent degradation of HIFs. The cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for angiogenic-osteogenic coupling and the therapeutic manipulation of HIFs and HMAs in intraoral bone repair and regeneration are discussed. Such discoveries suggest promising approaches for the development of novel therapies to improve intraoral bone repair and regeneration procedures.