Multipotent mesenchymal stem cells with immunosuppressive activity can be easily isolated from dental pulp.
BACKGROUND
Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are currently being investigated in preclinical and clinical settings because of their multipotent differentiative capacity or, alternatively, their immunosuppressive function. The aim of this study was to evaluate dental pulp (DP) as a potential source of MSCs instead of bone marrow (BM).


METHODS
Flow cytometric analysis showed that DP-MSCs and BM-MSCs were equally SH2, SH3, SH4, CD29 and CD 166 positive. The in vitro proliferative kinetics of MSCs were measured by 3H-thymidine incorporation uptake. The immunosuppressive function of MSCs was then tested by coculturing PHA-stimulated allogeneic T cells with or without MSCs for 3 days.


RESULTS
BM-MSCs could be differentiated in vitro into osteogenic, chondrogenic and adipogenic lineages. DP-MSCs showed osteogenic and adipocytic differentiation, but did not differentiate into chondrocytes. Although DP-MSCs grow rapidly in vitro between day 3 and day 8 of culture and then decrease their proliferation by day 15, BM-MSCs have a stable and continuous proliferation over the same period of time. The addition of DP-MSCs or BM-MSCs resulted in 91 +/- 4% and 75 +/- 3% inhibition of T cell response, respectively, assessed by a 3H-thymidine assay.


CONCLUSIONS
Dental pulp is an easily accessible and efficient source of MSCs, with different kinetics and differentiation potentialities from MSCs as isolated from the bone marrow. The rapid proliferative capacity together with the immunoregulatory characteristics of DP-MSCs may prompt future studies aimed at using these cells in the treatment or prevention of T-cell alloreactivity in hematopoietic or solid organ allogeneic transplantation.
Pierdomenico
Laura
L
Department of Histology, Embryology, and Applied Biology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
Bonsi
Laura
L
Calvitti
Mario
M
Rondelli
Damiano
D
Arpinati
Mario
M
Chirumbolo
Gabriella
G
Becchetti
Ennio
E
Marchionni
Cosetta
C
Alviano
Francesco
F
Fossati
Valentina
V
Staffolani
Nicola
N
Franchina
Michele
M
Grossi
Alberto
A
Bagnara
Gian Paolo
GP
D000328:Adult; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D019070:Cell Lineage; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002469:Cell Separation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003782:Dental Pulp / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D039902:Multipotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology