Dental Tissue-Derived Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Their Potential in Therapeutic Application

Abstract

Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) are multipotent cells, which exhibit plastic adherence, express specific cell surface marker spectrum, and have multi-lineage differentiation potential. These cells can be obtained from multiple tissues. Dental tissue-derived hMSCs (dental MSCs) possess the ability to give rise to mesodermal lineage (osteocytes, adipocytes, and chondrocytes), ectodermal lineage (neurocytes), and endodermal lineages (hepatocytes). Dental MSCs were first isolated from dental pulp of the extracted third molar and till now they have been purified from various dental tissues, including pulp tissue of permanent teeth and exfoliated deciduous teeth, apical papilla, periodontal ligament, gingiva, dental follicle, tooth germ, and alveolar bone. Dental MSCs are not only easily accessible but are also expandable in vitro with relative genomic stability for a long period of time. Moreover, dental MSCs have exhibited immunomodulatory properties by secreting cytokines. Easy accessibility, multi-lineage differentiation potential, and immunomodulatory effects make dental MSCs distinct from the other hMSCs and an effective tool in stem cell-based therapy. Several preclinical studies and clinical trials have been performed using dental MSCs in the treatment of multiple ailments, ranging from dental diseases to nondental diseases. The present review has summarized dental MSC sources, multi-lineage differentiation capacities, immunomodulatory features, its potential in the treatment of diseases, and its application in both preclinical studies and clinical trials. The regenerative therapeutic strategies in dental medicine have also been discussed.

Angiogenesis in Regenerative Dentistry: Are We Far Enough for Therapy?

“…Right next to the dental carie, periodontitis is a frequent disease of the periodontium complex, including gingiva, cementum, periodontal ligaments, and alveolar bone, traditionally treated by surgical means and guided tissue regeneration, with limited results [ 130 ]. In terms of periodontal regeneration based on dental MSCs, DPSCs, PDLSCs, SCAP, and DFSCs were taken into consideration for several studies [ 120 , 131 ]. For example, local injection of SCAP improved gingival attachment and enhanced bone and cementum regeneration [ 130 ].…”

“…Tissue engineering for periodontal tissue regeneration respects the same direction as for the endodontics diseases: stem cells therapy, scaffold supported strategy combined with growth factors, extracellular vesicles (exosomes) with conditioned medium [ 131 , 133 , 134 ].…”

Dental Pulp-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Modeling Genetic Disorders

“…MSCs were reported to be present in the human teeth and supporting tissues, and these have been reported to be promising sources of MSCs [ 9 , 10 , 11 ]. These “Dental MSCs” are divided into several subpopulations, depending on their anatomical and histological origins.…”

“…MSCs have also been identified in the dental papilla located at the root apex of the developing permanent teeth and in the dental follicle of the developing tooth germs [ 15 , 16 , 17 ]. These subpopulations appear to share several qualities as MSCs, but their phenotypes and tissue regenerative potentials are not completely consistent [ 9 , 10 , 11 ]. Further investigations are required to define the differential phenotypes and tissue regenerative potentials in these subpopulations, particularly in MSCs associated with developing tooth germs.…”

Efficacy of chitinase-3-like protein 1 as an in vivo bone formation predictable marker of maxillary/mandibular bone marrow stromal cells

“…MBMSCs and iliac MSCs have comparable osteogenic differentiation potential; however, MBMSCs have a weaker potential to differentiate to chondrocytes and adipocytes because of their different stem properties [ 8 , 9 ]. MBMSCs have been a candidate cell source for bone regenerative medicine in the maxillofacial region [ 10 ], and several bone regeneration studies using MBMSCs have been reported [ 11 , 12 ]. The population of plating bone marrow cells is heterogeneous; some MBMSCs have progenitor properties and multi-potent differentiation capacity, whereas others are devoid of this capacity [ 13 ].…”