Basic fibroblast growth factor enhances stemness of human stem cells from the apical papilla

Stem cells from the apical papilla (SCAP) are a type of mesenchymal stem cells found in the developing tissue, apical papilla, of immature permanent teeth. Studies have shown that SCAP are likely to be a source of primary odontoblasts that are responsible for the formation of root dentin. Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is a signaling molecule and pleiotropic growth factor involved in tooth root development, and it promotes proliferation of a variety of cell types. The effects of bFGF on SCAP, however, have not been examined.

We investigated the regulatory effects of bFGF on the proliferation and differentiation potential of human SCAP in vitro. Changes in the cell cycle and proliferation, colony-forming unit-fibroblastic formation, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, osteogenic/dentinogenic differentiation, and stem cell gene makers of SCAP, cultured in the presence or absence of bFGF, were evaluated.

Treatment with 5 ng/mL bFGF significantly increased SCAP proliferation and their colony-forming unit-fibroblastic formation efficiency. The growth factor also increased the expression of STRO-1 and the stem cell gene makers Nanog, Oct4, Sox2, and Rex1 in SCAP. In contrast, bFGF reduced the ALP activity, mineral nodule formation, and the expression of ALP, osteocalcin, bone sialoprotein, and dentin sialophosphoprotein. When SCAP cultures were expanded in the presence of bFGF for 1 week, subsequent stimulation of the osteogenic/dentinogenic condition resulted in enhanced differentiation.

Under certain conditions, bFGF enhances SCAP stemness by up-regulating stem cell gene expression, increasing proliferation ability, and potentiating differentiation potency.