Xenogenous implanted dental follicle stem cells promote periodontal regeneration through inducing the N2 phenotype of neutrophils

• Engineered dental follicle stem cells (E-DFSCs) retain stem cell properties and enhance macrophage immunomodulation in vitro. • E-DFSCs promote periodontal regeneration equivalently to non-engineered DFSCs in a murine defect model. • Implanted E-DFSCs induce early neutrophilic infiltration and N2 phenotype conversion, suggesting a novel immunomodulatory mechanism. • The study highlights the potential of DFSCs in periodontal regeneration via innate immune modulation, offering insights for cell therapy optimization.