title: Evaluation of pluripotency in human dental pulp cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Postnatal stem cells have been isolated from various tissues, including bone marrow, neural tissue, skin, retina, and dental epithelium. Recently, adult stem cells have been isolated from human dental pulp. Postnatal stem cells have been isolated from a variety of tissues. Previously, it was generally accepted that the differentiation potential of postnatal stem cells was lineage restricted.
  
  
  METHODS
  Normal impacted third molars were collected from adults and normal exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED; stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth) by single-colony selection and magnetic activated cell sorting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  BMP-2 treatment groups produced alkaline phosphatase in the cells and also produced and secreted osteocalcin in the culture medium, and were capable of inducing an upregulated expression of Osteocalcin or Sox9, Col 2, and Col X by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). For adipogenic differentiation, there is potential for SHED and dental pulp stem cells (DPSC) to express 2 adipocyte-specific transcripts, PPARgamma2 and LPL, in vitro, as do bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells by RT-PCR.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrated that pluripotential cells isolated from the pulp of human teeth expanded in vitro and differentiated into osteoblasts, chondrocytes, and adipocytes. DPSC and SHED are not only derived from a very accessible tissue resource but also capable of providing enough cells for potential clinical applications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Noriaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Koyama
authors.forename: Yasunori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Okubo
authors.forename: Kazumasa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakao
authors.forename: Kazuhisa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bessho
mesh_terms: D050156:Adipogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002648:Child; D020219:Chondrogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D003782:Dental Pulp / Q000166:cytology*; D024022:Fibrillar Collagens / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015870:Gene Expression; D005818:Genetic Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008071:Lipoprotein Lipase / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008875:Middle Aged; D008964:Molar, Third / Q000166:cytology; D015675:Osteocalcin / Q000096:biosynthesis; D010012:Osteogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D047495:PPAR gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D039904:Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous / Q000166:cytology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D024022:Fibrillar Collagens; D047495:PPAR gamma; D015675:Osteocalcin; D008071:Lipoprotein Lipase; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase