title: [Identification and isolation of human dental pulp stem cells].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To isolate and cultivate human dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs).
  
  
  METHODS
  Pulp tissue was removed from healthy young human teeth extracted for orthodontic purposes. The pulp was digested by Type I collagenase and dispase. Then single-cell suspensions were obtained by filter and cultivated. The clones were identified by expression of STRO-1. Under the conditions of inducement, clones were identified by activity of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), formation of mineralized nodule and expression of dentin sialoprotein (DSP), and by Oil Red-O dyeing and expressing of PPARr2.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The clones had positive expression of STRO-1. When stimulated to differentiation, these cells took on dramatically high activity of ALP, had the ability of mineralization and expressed DSP. These cells also had ability to trans-differentiate into adipocytes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There are stem cells in human dental pulp tissues, which can be isolated and cultivated.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Oral Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China.
authors.forename: Xue-chao
authors.initials: XC
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Ming-wen
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Fan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000379:methods; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003782:Dental Pulp / Q000166:cytology*; D006801:Humans; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D055815:Young Adult