High mobility group box-1（HMGB1） is a ubiquitous and highly-conserved nuclear protein within all eukaryotic cells, and it can be released into extracellular space during tissue damage or stress state. Apart from playing a role of inflammatory cytokine in immune response, HMGB1 could also mediate migration of adult stem cells, promoting repair and regeneration of various tissues. This review focuses on the structure and biochemistry features of HMGB1 and receptor for advanced glycation end product（RAGE）, and their effect on adult stem cells migration as well as signal transduction pathway, providing a new clue for migration of dental pulp stem cells and restoration of damaged dental pulp.
