Cementum-Derived Wnt/β-Catenin Crosstalk in Periodontal Ligament Mechanotransduction: Challenging the Tensional Homeostasis Doctrine in Alveolar Bone Remodeling

Abstract

The tensional homeostasis doctrine has long governed mechanobiological interpretations of periodontal ligament (PDL) adaptation; however, emerging evidence implicates cementum-derived Wnt/β-catenin signaling as an independent regulatory axis that fundamentally uncouples strain-mediated osteoblastogenesis from classical mechanotransduction cascades. This study investigated Wnt ligand secretion profiles in primary human cementoblasts under cyclic compressive loading (0.5–2.5 Hz), integrating RNA sequencing, immunofluorescence co-localization, and finite element modeling of alveolar socket stress distribution. Our findings demonstrate that cementoblast-specific Wnt3a upregulation suppresses RANKL-mediated osteoclastogenesis independently of integrin-focal adhesion kinase pathways, challenging prevailing dogma. These results reframe cementum not merely as an anchorage substrate but as an active mechano-endocrine interface governing periodontal osseous equilibrium, with significant implications for orthodontic force protocols and regenerative periodontal therapy.