Stem cell proliferation pathways comparison between human exfoliated deciduous teeth and dental pulp stem cells by gene expression profile from promising dental pulp.

INTRODUCTION: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been used for clinical application in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine (TERM). To date, the most common source of MSCs has been bone marrow. However, the bone marrow aspirate is an invasive and painful procedure for the donor. Thus, the identification and characterization of alternative sources of MSCs are of great importance. This study focused on the characterization of stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED) compared with dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs).

METHODS: We have compared "stemness" such as the proliferation rate and the expression of stem cell marker of DPSCs, SHED, and BMMSCs. In addition, gene expression profile of DPSCs and SHED were analyzed by using DNA microarray.

RESULTS: All cells isolated from the three sources exhibited MSC characteristics including a fibroblastic morphology, and the expression of mesenchymal stem-cell markers. The proliferation rate of SHED was significantly higher than that of DPSCs and BMMSCs (P < 0.05). The comparison of the gene expression profiles indicated 4386 genes with a changed expression between DPSCs and SHED by 2.0-fold or more. Higher expression in SHED was observed for genes that participate in pathways related to cell proliferation and extracellular matrix, including several cytokines such as fibroblast growth factor and tumor growth factor beta.

CONCLUSIONS: Because of its advantages of a higher proliferation capability, abundant cell supply, and painless stem cell collection with minimal invasion, SHED could be a desirable option as a cell source for potential therapeutic applications.