title: Characterization of stem cells from alveolar periodontal ligament.
abstract: Complete and predicable regeneration of complex periodontal structures, which include cementum, periodontal ligament (PDL), and alveolar bone, has been a great challenge for periodontal researchers. It is generally believed that human PDL from the root surface contains stem cells (r-PDLSCs), which can enhance cementum/PDL-like tissues regeneration in vivo. In this work, PDL was found to possess asymmetrically distributed stem cells observed by long-term bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling. Putative stem cells from human PDL on the alveolar bone surface (a-PDLSCs) were then isolated and characterized. It was shown that a-PDLSCs exhibited strong proliferation capability and expressed high percentages of mesenchymal stem cell markers. Comparatively, a-PDLSCs had higher multilineage differentiation potential than r-PDLSCs with regard to both osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation. Alkaline phosphatase activity and the expression of mineralization-related markers of a-PDLSCs were also higher than those of r-PDLSCs. In vivo, a-PDLSCs could regenerate bone/PDL-like structures and repair critical-size defects created in calvarial bone of NOD/SCID mice. Autologous PDLSC-mediated periodontal regeneration showed that a-PDLSCs could accomplish reconstruction of alveolar bone more perfectly than r-PDLSCs. Our data suggest that PDLSCs may have quite different characteristics depending on locations. a-PDLSCs may take a synergistic effect with r-PDLSCs in periodontal regeneration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics, School of Stomatology, the Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Huan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Zhenhua
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Qingtian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yinzhong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jin
mesh_terms: D050156:Adipogenesis / Q000502:physiology; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051379:Mice; D016688:Mice, Inbred NOD; D016513:Mice, SCID; D010012:Osteogenesis / Q000502:physiology; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000628:therapy; D010513:Periodontal Ligament / Q000166:cytology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012038:Regeneration / Q000502:physiology; D012886:Skull; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult