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Isolation, Culture, and Characterization of Dental Pulp Stem Cells from Human Deciduous and Permanent Teeth
Published on: May 17, 2024
Stage-specific embryonic antigen-4 identifies human dental pulp stem cells.
Noriaki Kawanabe1, Satoko Murata, Hiroaki Fukushima
1Department of Orthodontics, Okayama University Hospital, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8525, Japan. kawanabe@md.okayama-u.ac.jp
Experimental Cell Research
|January 24, 2012
Summary
Stage-specific embryonic antigen-4 (SSEA-4) can identify dental pulp stem cells. SSEA-4 positive cells exhibit enhanced growth and multilineage differentiation potential, crucial for regenerative medicine applications.
Area of Science:
- Stem Cell Biology
- Immunology
- Regenerative Medicine
Background:
- Embryonic stem cell antigens are present in adult stem cells.
- Dental pulp stem cells share characteristics with mesenchymal stem cells.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate stage-specific embryonic antigen-4 (SSEA-4) as a marker for dental pulp (DP) stem cell isolation.
- Characterize SSEA-4 positive DP cells.
Main Methods:
- Flow cytometry to quantify SSEA-4 expression in DP cells.
- In vitro differentiation assays (osteoblasts, chondrocytes, neurons).
- In vivo ectopic bone formation assay.
Main Results:
- SSEA-4 was expressed on 45.5% of cultured DP cells.
- SSEA-4+ DP cells demonstrated higher proliferation and telomere length.
- SSEA-4+ DP cells showed multilineage differentiation potential and formed ectopic bone in vivo.
- Retinoic acid treatment altered SSEA expression patterns.
Conclusions:
- SSEA-4 is a specific cell surface marker for identifying dental pulp stem cells.
- SSEA-4+ DP cells possess significant potential for regenerative therapies.
