Comparative characterization of stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth, dental pulp, and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells

Objectives: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are used clinically in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. The proliferation and osteogenic differentiation potential of MSCs vary according to factors such as tissue source and cell population heterogeneity. Dental tissue has received attention as an easily accessible source of high-quality stem cells. In this study, we compared the in vitro characteristics of dental pulp stem cells from deciduous teeth (SHED), human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSC5), and human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs). Materials and methods: SEHD and hDPSCs were isolated from dental pulp and analyzed in comparison with human bone marrow (hBM)MSC5. Proliferative capacity of cultured cells was analyzed using a bromodeoxyuridine immunoassay and cell counting. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels were monitored to assess osteogenic differentiation. Mineralization was evaluated by alizarin red staining. Levels of bone marker mRNA were examined by real-time PCR analysis. Results: SHED were highly proliferative compared with hDPSCs and hBMSC5. SHED, hDPSC5, and hBMSCs exhibited dark alizarin red staining on day 21 after induction of osteogenic differentiation, and staining of hBMSCs was significantly higher than that of SHED and hDPSCs by spectrophotometry. ALP staining was stronger in hBMSC5 compared with SHED and hDPSCs, and ALP activity was significantly higher in hBMSC5 compared with SHED or hDPSC5. SHED showed significantly higher expression of the Runx2 and ALP genes compared with hBMSCs, based on real-time PCR analysis. In bFGF, SHED showed significantly higher expression of the basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) gene compared with hDPSC5 and hBMSCs. Conclusion: SHED exhibited higher proliferative activity and levels of bFGF and BMP-2 gene expression compared with BMMSC5 and DPSCs. The ease of harvesting cells and ability to avoid invasive surgical procedures suggest that SHED may be a useful cell source for application in bone regeneration treatments. (C) 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.