Isolation of pluripotent stem cells from human third molar dental pulp

M. Atari^1,3, M. Barajas², F. Hernández-Alfaro³, C. Gil¹, M. Fabregat¹, E. Ferrés Padró³, L. Giner^1,3 and N. Casals<sup>4

1</sup>Regenerative Medicine Laboratory, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain, ²Area of Hematology and Cell Therapy, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain, ³Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain and ⁴Basic Sciences Department and CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain.

Offprint requests to: Luis Giner MD, DDS, Ph.D., Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, College of Dentistry, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, C/ Josep Trueta s/n, 08195 Sant Cugat del Vallés (Barcelona), Spain. e-mail: lginer@csc.uic.es, drmaher1972@csc.uic.es


Summary. Potent stem/progenitor cells have been isolated from normal human dental pulps, termed dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs). However, no study has described the presence of stem cell populations in human dental pulp from the third molar with embryonic phenotypes. The dental pulp tissue was cultured in media with the presence of LIF, EGF, and PDGF. In the present study, we describe a new population of pluripotent stem cells that were isolated from dental pulp (DPPSC). These cells are SSEA-4⁺, Oct4⁺, Nanog⁺, FLK-1⁺, HNF3beta⁺, Nestin⁺, Sox2⁺, Lin28⁺, c-Myc⁺, CD13⁺, CD105⁺, CD34^-, CD45^-, CD90^low, CD29⁺, CD73^low, STRO-1^low and CD146^-. We have investigated by SEM analysis and q-RT-PCR the capacity of DPPSCs to 3D differentiate in vitro using the Cell Carrier 3D glass scaffold into tissues that have similar characteristics to embryonic mesoderm and endoderm layers. These data would support the use of these cells, which are derived from an easily accessible source and can be used in future regeneration protocols for many tissue types that differentiate from the three embryonic layers. Histol Histopathol 26, 1057-1070 (2011)

Key words: Dental pulp, Pluripotency, Embryonic markers

DOI: 10.14670/HH-26.1057