Osteogenesis from Dental Pulp Derived Stem Cells: A Novel Conditioned Medium Including Melatonin within a Mixture of Hyaluronic, Butyric, and Retinoic Acids

• Published in: Stem Cells International Vol. 2016; no. 2016; pp. 886 - 893-074
• Main Authors: Rinaldi, Salvatore, Muggironi, Roberta, Pigliaru, Gianfranco, Ventura, Carlo, Grillari-Voglauer, Regina, Milia, Egle, Pinna, Roberto, Delitala, Alessandro P., Cruciani, Sara, Santaniello, Sara, Basoli, Valentina, Maioli, Margherita, Fontani, Vania
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cairo, Egypt Hindawi Limiteds 01.01.2016; Hindawi Publishing Corporation; Hindawi Limited; Wiley
• Subjects: Antibiotics; Bone marrow; Gene expression; Genes; Genetic aspects; Genetic vectors; Melatonin; Saturated fatty acids; Stem cell transplantation; Stem cells; Studies; Tissue engineering; Transcription (Genetics); Transplants & implants; Vascular endothelial growth factor
• ISSN: 1687-966X; 1687-9678; 1687-9678
• DOI: 10.1155/2016/2056416

Human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) have shown relevant potential for cell therapy in the orthopedic and odontoiatric fields. The optimization of their osteogenic potential is currently a major challenge. Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF A) has been recently reported to act as a major conductor of osteogenesis in vitro and in vivo. Here, we attempted to prime endogenous VEGF A expression without the need for viral vector mediated gene transfer technologies. We show that hDPSCs exposure to a mixture of hyaluronic, butyric, and retinoic acids (HA + BU + RA) induced the transcription of a gene program of osteogenesis and the acquirement of an osteogenic lineage. Such response was also elicited by cell exposure to melatonin, a pleiotropic agent that recently emerged as a remarkable osteogenic inducer. Interestingly, the commitment to the osteogenic fate was synergistically enhanced by the combinatorial exposure to a conditioned medium containing both melatonin and HA + BU + RA. These in vitro results suggest that in vivo osteogenesis might be improved and further studies are needed.