Isolation, Characterization, and Differentiation of Stem Cells From Various Dental Sources: An In Vitro Study

Abstract

Aim: The aim of the current study was to isolate stem cells from various dental sources such as dental pulp, periodontal ligament (PDL), and apical papilla, and to characterize stem cells by staining for the presence/absence of specific surface markers and also to differentiate stem cells into osteogenic, chondrogenic, and adipogenic cell lineages by exposing them to specific growth factors under the ideal conditions. Materials and Methods: A total of 117 samples were included in the study, consisting of 30 pulp, 50 gingival, 35 PDL, and 2 apical papilla samples. The pulp was extirpated and transported to the Central Research Laboratory. Gingival connective tissue was collected from the participants undergoing any crown lengthening procedure or any gingivectomy procedure from the Department of Periodontology. A similar procedure was also followed for apical papilla and PDL. Isolation was done followed by the identification of the cells by immunocytochemistry using different markers. Once the identity of cells was confirmed, these cells were treated with different culture media to attain 70% to 100% confluency. Then the medium was replaced with a conditioning medium containing specific growth factors for differentiation into osteogenic, chondrogenic, and adipogenic cell lineages. Result: In our study, the number of samples collected and processed was 117. The isolation rate of stem cells from the above-collected samples was 70%. Statistical analysis—no statistical analysis was done as there was no variability expected. Conclusion: Our study showed that stem cells could be isolated, differentiated, and characterized from different dental sources.

Mesenchymal Stem Cells Based Treatment in Dental Medicine: A Narrative Review

“…It is precisely the fact that MSCs can be isolated from dental tissues that has made major progress not only in regenerative dentistry, but in entire regenerative medicine [14]. They can be harvested from teeth and adjacent structures in a non-invasive manner, making them an easily accessible source [15]. Various characteristics of different dental tissue-derived MSCs, such as specific surface antigens, immunomodulatory properties, and main differentiations are shown in Table 1 and thoroughly described in the following subheadings.…”