New considerations in selecting donors for dental pulp stem cells: a pilot study

Area of Science:

• Stem cell biology
• Regenerative medicine
• Periodontology

Background:

• Stem cell therapy requires abundant, high-quality stem cells.
• Current stem cell sources are limited by donor availability and compromised properties due to preservation and expansion.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of mild periodontitis on dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs).
• To explore the potential of using DPSCs from periodontitis-affected teeth to expand donor pools for tissue engineering.

Main Methods:

• Dental pulp stem cells were isolated from healthy individuals and patients with mild periodontitis, categorized by age.
• Analyses included cell morphology, proliferation, multilineage differentiation, apoptosis, and surface marker expression.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in cell morphology, pluripotency, or senescence were found between healthy controls and periodontitis patients.
• Aging in healthy subjects showed decreased proliferation and differentiation, and increased apoptosis, with similar trends observed in periodontitis patients.

Conclusions:

• Mild periodontitis does not alter the fundamental biological properties of DPSCs.
• Teeth affected by mild periodontitis represent a potential source for DPSCs, aiding in overcoming donor shortages for tissue engineering.