The Effect of Culture Medium Obtained from Dental Pulp Stem Cells (Conditioned Medium) on Esophageal Squamous Cell...

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is the eighth most prevalent cancer worldwide. Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) represents over 90% of all head and neck cancers, and nearly 40% of patients fail treatment. Therefore, discussion of cancer treatment is essential. In this in vitro study, we examined how conditioned medium from dental pulp stem cells (DPSC-CM) influences the ESCC cell line (KYSE-30).

First, the middle pulp tissue of the wisdom tooth was extracted and, following sterilization, transferred to a cell culture flask containing MEM-α. After completing the culture procedures, conditioned medium (CM) was collected from the fourth passage culture after 72 hours in serum-free medium. The KYSE-30 cells were then treated with the CM for an additional 72 hours, and cell survival was assessed using the MTT assay. Statistical significance was evaluated using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey's post-hoc test.

The results demonstrated that treatment of esophageal cancer cells with conditioned medium (CM) significantly reduced the survival rate of cancer cells compared to control samples. The treatment of KYSE-30 cells with DPSC-CM led to a notable reduction in cell viability (CM group: 51.2 ± 4.1% vs. control group: 72.6 ± 3.3%; P = 0.004).

DPSC-CM demonstrates the ability to reduce the proliferation of cancer cells; therefore, this medium can be considered a potential drug (therapeutic) candidate for the treatment of esophageal cancer. However, further studies are required to confirm these results.