title: [Chondrogenic differentiation of adult human periodontal ligament stem cells in vitro].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To isolate and cultivate human periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSC) and to investigate the feasibility of PDLSC in vitro differentiation into chondrogenic phenotype.
  
  
  METHODS
  Periodontal tissue was obtained from healthy young human teeth extracted for orthodontic purposes. PDLSCs were isolated by single-colony selection and cultivated. PDLSC of passage 3 was plated at density of 1 x 10(7) cells/cm3 and induced with chondrogenic induction medium of DMEM containing TGF-beta1 (10 microg/L), IGF-1 (50 microg/L), dexamethasone (40 microg/L) and 10% FBS. In control group, the constructs were maintained in DMEM medium + 10% FBS. After 21 days induction, the results were evaluated by histology, histochemistry, immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The constructs in experimental group were smooth and relatively firm in texture after 3 weeks of culture. Toluidine blue staining showed the formation of distinct lacuna structure. Positive staining of type II collagen was also detected by immunohistochemistry and it was confirmed by RT-PCR. In contrast, in the control group, the constructs collapsed gradually, lacuna was barely detected in histology and type II collagen expression negative.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Periodontal ligament contain stem cells can be isolated and cultivated. PDLSC have the potential of chondrogenic differentiation.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Oral Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China.
authors.forename: Yu-feng
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xiang-rong
authors.initials: XR
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Dong-xuan
authors.initials: DX
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D053687:Adult Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002648:Child; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D006801:Humans; D010513:Periodontal Ligament / Q000166:cytology*