Dental Stem Cells (Concepts and Applications)

Abstract

INTRODUCTION:Stem cells constitute the source of differentiated cells for the generation of tissues during development, as well as for regeneration of tissues that are diseased or injured postnatally. The stem cell research has grown exponentially to improve the life of patients with conditions that span from Alzheimer's disease, cardiac ischemia to bone or tooth loss. In dentistry, stem cell biology and tissue engineering are of great interest since they may provide an innovative for generation of clinical material and/or tissue regeneration. Mesenchymal stem cells were demonstrated in dental tissues, including dental pulp, periodontal ligament, dental papilla, and dental follicle. These stem cells can be isolated and grown under defined tissue culture conditions and are potential cells for use in tissue engineering including dental tissue, nerves and bone regeneration under appropriate conditions. This review was performed to study the concepts of stem cells and the most recent application of dental stem cells.

A Molecular View on Biomaterials and Dental Stem Cells Interactions: Literature Review

“…These cells are called dental tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (DT-MSCs), and the method of obtaining them is relatively easy in dental tissues and, even better, they are a source of autologous stem cells [1,6]. Likewise, they present a high proliferation, ability to differentiate into multiple cell types, and the expression of positive and embryonic markers of MSCs (i.e., OCT4, Nanog, SOX2, and KLF4), which makes them more attractive for their application in regenerative medicine [1,[7][8][9]. Different types of DT-MSCs have been identified, such as dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs), exfoliated deciduous tooth stem cells (SHEDs), periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs), dental follicle stem cells (DFSCs), and stem cells from the apical papilla (SCAP) (Figure 1) [1].…”