Transplantation of stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth for bone regeneration in the dog mandibular...

To investigate the effect of stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED) transplanted for bone regeneration in the dog mandibular defect.

In this prospective comparative study, SHEDs had been isolated 5 years ago from human exfoliated deciduous teeth. The undifferentiated stem cells were seeded into mandibular bone through-and-through defects of 4 dogs. Similar defects in control group were filled with cell-free collagen scaffold. After 12 wk, biopsies were taken and morphometric analysis was performed. The percentage of new bone formation and foreign body reaction were measured in each case. The data were subject to statistical analysis using the Mann-Whitney U and Kruskalwalis statistical tests. Differences at P < 0.05 was considered as significant level.

There were no significant differences between control and SHED-seeded groups in connective tissue (P = 0.248), woven bone (P = 0.248) and compact bone (P = 0.082). There were not any side effects in transplanted SHED group such as teratoma or malignancy and abnormalities in this period.

SHEDs which had been isolated and characterized 5 years ago and stored with cryopreservation banking were capable of proliferation and osteogenesis after 5 years, and no immune response was observed after three months of seeded SHEDs.