Dentin Regeneration Using Deciduous Pulp Stem/Progenitor Cells

• Published in: Journal of dental research Vol. 91; no. 7; pp. 676 - 682
• Main Authors: Zheng, Y., Wang, X.Y., Wang, Y.M., Liu, X.Y., Zhang, C.M., Hou, B.X., Wang, S.L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.07.2012; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Adult Stem Cells - transplantation; Alkaline phosphatase; Animal models; Animals; Calcium phosphates; Cell adhesion & migration; Cell Culture Techniques; Cell growth; Cell Proliferation; Cell Survival; Defects; Dental pulp; Dental Pulp - cytology; Dental Pulp Capping - methods; Dentin; Dentin, Secondary - diagnostic imaging; Dentin, Secondary - physiology; Dentistry; Green fluorescent protein; Hogs; Male; Phosphatase; Premolars; Progenitor cells; Radiography; Random Allocation; Regeneration - physiology; Scanning electron microscopy; Stem cells; Swine; Swine, Miniature; Tissue engineering; Tissue Engineering - methods; Tissue Scaffolds; Tooth Exfoliation; Tooth, Deciduous - cytology; Transplantation; Trauma; Tricalcium phosphate; Variance analysis; Beijing China; United States > US; China; tissue engineering; dental pulp-capping; reparative dentin; stem/progenitor cell therapy; vital pulp treatment; miniature pig
• ISSN: 0022-0345; 1544-0591
• DOI: 10.1177/0022034512449834

Reparative dentin formation is essential for maintaining the integrity of dentin structure during disease or trauma. In this study, we investigated stem/progenitor cell-based tissue engineering for dentin regeneration in a large animal model. Porcine deciduous pulp stem/progenitor cells (PDPSCs) were mixed with a beta-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) scaffold for dentin regeneration. Different concentrations of PDPSCs were tested to determine the optimal density for dentin regeneration. Aliquots of 5×105 PDPSCs in 1 mL resulted in the highest number of cells attached to the scaffold and the greatest alkaline phosphatase activity. We labeled PDPSCs with green fluorescent protein (GFP) and used the optimal cell numbers mixed with β-TCP to repair pulp chamber roof defects in the premolars of swine. Four weeks after transplantation, GFP-positive PDPSCs were observed in PDPSC-embedded scaffold constructs. At 16 weeks after transplantation, the PDPSCs mixed with β-TCP significantly regenerated the dentin-like structures and nearly completely restored the pulp chamber roof defects. This study demonstrated that the PDPSC/scaffold construct was useful in direct pulp-capping and provides pre-clinical evidence for stem/progenitor cell-based dentin regeneration.