Isolation and Characterization of Neural Crest-Derived Stem Cells From Adult Ovine Palatal Tissue

Abstract

Adult mammalian craniofacial tissues contain limited numbers of post-migratory neural crest-derived stem cells. Similar to their embryonic counterparts, these adult multipotent stem cells can undergo multi-lineage differentiation and are capable of contributing to regeneration of mesodermal and ectodermal cells and tissues in vivo. In the present study, we describe for the first time the presence of Nestin-positive neural crest-derived stem cells (NCSCs) within the ovine hard palate. We show that these cells can be isolated from the palatal tissue and are able to form neurospheres. Ovine NCSCs express the typical neural crest markers Slug and Twist, exhibit high proliferative and migratory activity and are able to differentiate into α smooth muscle cells and β-III-tubulin expressing ectodermal cells. Finally, we demonstrate that oNCSCs are capable of differentiating into osteogenic, adipogenic and chondrogenic cells. Taken together, our results suggest that oNCSCs could be used as model cells to assess the efficacy and safety of autologous NCSC transplantation in a large animal model.

Biomimetic and electroactive 3D scaffolds for human neural crest-derived stem cell expansion and osteogenic differentiation

“…Neural crest-derived stem cells (NCSCs) have an enormous potential for personalized medicine as they display the remarkable characteristic of preserving their potential to differentiate towards different lineages even when isolated from adult patients. [9,57] Their use in tissue regeneration, and more specifically for bone regeneration, could be a powerful alternative to allogenic stem cell transplantations, thus reducing the risk of rejections and the need for immunosuppression. Moreover, these populations of cells preserve their stemness also in the adult, unveiling an extremely high potential for clinical translation.…”

“…Alizarin red S staining and its quantitative evaluation were performed according to a procedure previously described. [12,57]…”

Isolation of Skeletal Muscle-derived Cells Modeling Neural Crest-Derived Stem Cells for Therapeutic Use in Regenerative Periodontology

“…• fluorescence-activated cell sorting 23,24 • selective culturing conditions for growth as shown as neurosphere-like structures 25 • explant technique 26 Only pluripotent stem cells exceed the cellular plasticity displayed by isolated adult multipotent neural crest-derived stem cells (NC-SCs). The hard palate presents as an accessible source of craniofacial tissue for the procurement of neural crest-related cells 25 . In 2009, populations of multipotent NC-SCs were identified within the ridges of the hard palate of adult Wistar rats 27 .…”

“…In 2009, populations of multipotent NC-SCs were identified within the ridges of the hard palate of adult Wistar rats 27 . Considering the highly regenerative nature of the hard palate and accessibility of palatal rugae, this procedure could act as a minimally invasive source of proliferative, therapeutically appropriate multipotent NC-SCs 25 . Following isolation and cultivation of nestin-positive and Sox2-positive NC-SCs, secondary neurosphere forming assays identified NC-SCs forming spheres at a frequency of 1.8%, compared to a frequency of 0.01% in PDL-SCs 27,28 .…”

Evaluation of the biocompatibility of resin composite‐based dental materials with gingival mesenchymal stromal cells

“…Evaluation of the cytotoxicity of resin composite‐based materials on gingival‐derived stem cells seems a logical approach (Flury, Hayoz, Peutzfeldt, Hüsler, & Lussi, ; Soancă et al, ), especially considering the proximity of class II restorations to marginal gingiva and the possible influence of biomaterials on local regenerative and reparative potentials. Although other oral sources have been used to isolate mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) (Atari et al, ; Gronthos, Mankani, Brahim, Robey, & Shi, ; Miura et al, ; Morsczeck et al, ; Park et al, ; Roman, Soancă, Florea, & Páll, ; Sonoyama et al, ; Zeuner et al, ), gingival tissues are typically the focus due to their abundance and easy accessibility via minimally invasive periodontal surgery (Fawzy El‐Sayed & Dörfer, ; Soancă et al, ). Gingival MSCs (gMSCs) are similar to other MSCs with respect to their spindle‐like cell morphology, plastic adherence, specific cell‐surface marker expression, multipotent differentiation, and immunomodulatory functions.…”