Mesenchymal stem cell characteristics of dental pulp and periodontal ligament stem cells after in vivo transplantation.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) isolated from human postnatal dental pulp and periodontal ligament (PDL) tissues can give rise to multilineage differentiation in vitro and generate related dental tissues in vivo. However, the cell properties of human dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) and PDL stem cells (PDLSCs) after in vivo implantation remain largely unidentified. In this study, cells were re-isolated from in vivo-generated dental pulp-like and PDL-like tissues (termed re-DPCs and re-PDLCs, respectively) as a result of ectopic transplantation of human DPSC and PDLSC sheets. The cell characteristics in terms of colony-forming ability, cell surface antigens and multi-differentiation potentials were all evaluated before and after implantation. It was found that re-DPCs and re-PDLCs were of human and mesenchymal origin and positive for MSC markers such as STRO-1, CD146, CD29, CD90 and CD105; and, to some extent, re-DPCs could maintain their colony forming abilities. Moreover, both cell types were able to form mineral deposits and differentiate into adipocytes and chondrocytes; however, quantitative analysis and related gene expression determination showed that the osteo-/chondro-differentiation capabilities of re-DPCs and re-PDLCs were significantly reduced compared to those of DPSCs and PDLSCs, respectively (P < 0.05); re-PDLCs showed a greater reduction potential than re-DPCs. We conclude that DPSCs and PDLSCs may maintain their MSC characteristics after in vivo implantation and, compared to PDLSCs, DPSCs appear much more stable under in vivo conditions. These findings provide additional cellular and molecular evidence that supports expanding the use of dental tissue-derived stem cells in cell therapy and tissue engineering.

Lei M ，Li K ，Li B ，Gao LN ，Chen FM ，Jin Y ... -  《-》

Investigation of dental pulp stem cells isolated from discarded human teeth extracted due to aggressive periodontitis.

Recently, human dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) isolated from inflamed dental pulp tissue have been demonstrated to retain some of their pluripotency and regenerative potential. However, the effects of periodontal inflammation due to periodontitis and its progression on the properties of DPSCs within periodontally compromised teeth remain unknown. In this study, DPSCs were isolated from discarded human teeth that were extracted due to aggressive periodontitis (AgP) and divided into three experimental groups (Groups A, B and C) based on the degree of inflammation-induced bone resorption approaching the apex of the tooth root before tooth extraction. DPSCs derived from impacted or non-functional third molars of matched patients were used as a control. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-like characteristics, including colony-forming ability, proliferation, cell cycle, cell surface antigens, multi-lineage differentiation capability and in vivo tissue regeneration potential, were all evaluated in a patient-matched comparison. It was found that STRO-1- and CD146-positive DPSCs can be isolated from human teeth, even in very severe cases of AgP. Periodontal inflammation and its progression had an obvious impact on the characteristics of DPSCs isolated from periodontally affected teeth. Although all the isolated DPSCs in Groups A, B and C showed decreased colony-forming ability and proliferation rate (P < 0.05), the decreases were not consistent with the degree of periodontitis. Furthermore, the cells did not necessarily show significantly diminished in vitro multi-differentiation potential. Only DPSCs from Group A and the Control group formed dentin-like matrix in vivo when cell-seeded biomaterials were transplanted directly into an ectopic transplantation model. However, when cell-seeded scaffolds were placed in the root fragments of human teeth, all the cells formed significant dentin- and pulp-like tissues. The ability of DPSCs to generate dental tissues decreased when the cells were isolated from periodontally compromised teeth (P < 0.05). Again, increased periodontal destruction was not necessarily followed by a decrease in the amount of dentin- and pulp-like tissue formed. These findings provide preliminary evidence that periodontally compromised teeth might contain putative stem cells with certain MSC properties, as long as the vitality of the pulp has not been totally damaged. Whether these cells can serve as a source of autologous multipotent MSCs for clinical regenerative therapies warrants further investigation with larger sample sizes and various types of periodontitis.

Sun HH ，Chen B ，Zhu QL ，Kong H ，Li QH ，Gao LN ，Xiao M ，Chen FM ，Yu Q ... -  《-》

Comparison of the properties of human CD146+ and CD146- periodontal ligament cells in response to stimulation with tumour necrosis factor α.

Periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) can be used in periodontal regeneration. Tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) participates in the regulation of cell proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation, and migration. However, whether TNF-α can affect the biological features of PDLSCs is still unclear. The objective of this study was to illustrate the biological effects (proliferation, apoptosis, osteogenesis and migration) of TNF-α on human CD146 positive periodontal ligament cells (CD146+PLDCs) and CD146 negative periodontal ligament cells (CD146-PDLCs). CD146±PDLCs were isolated from human PDLCs and analyzed using a fluorescence-activated cell sorter. The biological effects of TNF-α on CD146±PDLCs were evaluated by CCK-8 assay (proliferation), DAPI staining (apoptosis), alizarin red staining and alkaline phosphatase activities assay (osteogenesis), and wounding assay and transwell assay (migration). CD146+PDLCs, which expressed MSC surface markers CD105, CD90, CD73, CD44, and Stro-1, showed higher proliferative and osteogenic potential than CD146-PDLCs. TNF-α at a dose of 2.5ng/ml was found to enhance both proliferation and osteogenesis in CD146+PDLCs. At 5ng/ml, TNF-α promoted proliferation, osteogenesis, and apoptosis in CD146+PDLCs and enhanced osteogenesis in CD146-PDLCs. At 10ng/ml, TNF-α only aggravated apoptosis in CD146+PDLCs. The migratory ability of both CD146+PDLCs and CD146-PDLCs was not altered by TNF-α. CD146+PDLCs were subpopulation of MSC. It showed greater proliferative and osteogenic potential than CD146-PDLCs. At low concentration, TNF-α was beneficial to CD146+PDLCs on proliferation and osteogenesis, and at high concentration it was detrimental. CD146-PDLCs were found to be less sensitive to TNF-α.

Zhu W ，Tan Y ，Qiu Q ，Li X ，Huang Z ，Fu Y ，Liang M ... -  《-》

Comparison of mesenchymal stem cells derived from gingival tissue and periodontal ligament in different incubation conditions.

Gingival tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were recently identified and characterized as having multipotential differentiation and immunomodulatory properties in vitro and in vivo, and they represent new postnatal stem cell types for cytotherapy and regenerative medicine. However, the utility of gingival MSCs (GMSCs) as alternatives to periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs), which have been demonstrated to be effective but with limited cell availability and reduced clinical feasibility, for periodontal regeneration in a previously diseased/inflamed environment remains obscure. In this study, patient-matched human GMSCs and PDLSCs were evaluated in terms of their colony-forming ability, proliferative capacity, cell surface epitopes, multi-lineage differentiation potentials, and related gene expression when incubated in different designed culture conditions, with or without the presence of inflammatory cytokines. An in vivo ectopic transplantation model using transplants from inflammatory cytokine-treated or untreated cells was applied to assess bone formation. We found that cells derived from both tissues expressed MSC markers, including CD146, CD105, CD90, CD29, and STRO-1. Both cells successfully differentiated under osteogenic, adipogenic, and chondrogenic microenvironments; PDLSCs displayed a more effective differentiation potential in all of the incubation conditions compared to GMSCs (P < 0.01). Although inflammatory cytokine-treated GMSCs and PDLSCs are inferior to normally cultured, patient and tissue-matched cells in terms of their osteogenic capacity and regenerative potential (P < 0.05), they retain the capacity for osteoblastic and adipose differentiation, as well as ectopic bone formation, similar to what has been demonstrated for other MSCs. Interestingly, GMSCs exhibited fewer inflammation-related changes in terms of osteogenic potential in vitro and bone formation in vivo compared to PDLSCs (P < 0.01). These results suggest that both gingiva and PDL tissues are putative cell sources for future cytotherapeutic applications. Whether GMSCs act as an adjunctive or alternative cell source for cytotherapy of inflammatory periodontal disease warrants further investigation.

Yang H ，Gao LN ，An Y ，Hu CH ，Jin F ，Zhou J ，Jin Y ，Chen FM ... -  《-》

Investigation of multipotent postnatal stem cells from human maxillary sinus membrane.

Guo J ，Weng J ，Rong Q ，Zhang X ，Zhu S ，Huang D ，Li X ，Chen S ... -  《-》