title: Periapical follicle stem cell: a promising candidate for cementum/periodontal ligament regeneration and bio-root engineering.
abstract: Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-mediated tissue regeneration offers opportunities to regenerate a bio-root and its associated periodontal tissues to restore tooth loss. Previously, we proved that the apical end of developing root was acting as a promising candidate cell source for root/periodontal tissue (R/PT) regeneration. In the present study, we investigated the properties of periapical follicle stem cells (PAFSCs) isolated from the apical end of developing root of human third molars at the root-developing stage and evaluated the potential application of these cells for cementum/periodontal ligament (PDL) regeneration and bio-root engineering. Putative PAFSCs were isolated and subcultured until 20th passage. Cell characteristics of PAFSCs at early or late passage were evaluated and compared with periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) via a series of histological, cellular, and molecular analyses. PAFSCs at early passage presented crucial stem cell properties and showed a higher proliferation rate than PDLSCs in vitro. Meanwhile, PAFSCs also showed the tissue-regenerative capacity to produce a typical cementum/PDL-like complex in vivo. During long-term passage, both cell populations changed in morphology and gradually lost their stem cell properties. The alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and expression of mineralization-related genes markedly declined as more passages were carried out, which might lead to the loss of tissue-regenerative capacity of these 2 groups of cells in vivo. Our findings suggest that developing tissue-derived PAFSCs are a distinctive cell population from PDLSCs and might be a promising candidate for bio-root engineering.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics, School of Stomatology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Zhenhua
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Yingliang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Yinxiong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Na
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Huo
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: Yinzhong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jin
mesh_terms: D050156:Adipogenesis / Q000502:physiology; D000293:Adolescent; D057005:Bioengineering / Q000379:methods*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002648:Child; D003739:Dental Cementum / Q000502:physiology*; D003795:Dental Sac / Q000166:cytology*; D006801:Humans; D045164:Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D010012:Osteogenesis / Q000502:physiology; D010486:Periapical Tissue / Q000166:cytology*; D010513:Periodontal Ligament / Q000502:physiology*; D012038:Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D014092:Tooth Root / Q000502:physiology