title: Differentiation and neuro-protective properties of immortalized human tooth germ stem cells.
abstract: Stem cells are considered to be promising therapeutic options in many neuro-degenerative diseases and injuries to the central nervous system, including brain ischemia and spinal cord trauma. Apart from the gold standard embryonic and mesenchymal origin, human tooth germ stem cells (hTGSCs) have also been shown to enjoy the characteristics of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and the ability to differentiate into adipo-, chondro-, osteo- and neuro-genic cells, suggesting that they might serve as potential alternatives in the cellular therapy of various maladies. Immortalization of stem cells may be useful to avoid senescence of stem cells and to increase their proliferation potential without altering their natural characteristics. This study evaluated the expression of stem cell markers, surface antigens, differentiation capacity, and karyotype of hTGSCs that have been immortalized by human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) or simian vacuolating virus 40 (SV40) large T antigen. These undying cells were also evaluated for their neuro-protective potential using an in vitro SH-SY5Y neuro-blastoma model treated with hydrogen-peroxide or doxo-rubicin. Although hTGSC-SV40 showed abnormal karyotypes, our results suggest that hTGSC-hTERT preserve their MSC characteristics, differentiation capacity and normal karyotype, and they also possess high proliferation rate and neuro-protective effects even at great passage numbers. These peculiars indicate that hTGSC-hTERT could be used as a viable model for studying adipo-, osteo-, odonto- and neuro-genesis, as well as neuro-protection of MSCs, which may serve as a springboard for potentially utilizing dental waste material in cellular therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics and BioEngineering, College of Engineering and Architecture, Yeditepe University, 26 Ağustos Campus, Kayisdagi cad, Kayisdagi, 34755 Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Yalvaç
authors.forename: Aysu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.forename: Dilek
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mercan
authors.forename: Safa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aydin
authors.forename: Aysegul
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dogan
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arslan
authors.forename: Zeynel
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Demir
authors.forename: Ilnur I
authors.initials: II
authors.lastname: Salafutdinov
authors.forename: Aygul K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Shafigullina
authors.forename: Fikrettin
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sahin
authors.forename: Albert A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Rizvanov
authors.forename: András
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Palotás
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000952:Antigens, Polyomavirus Transforming / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D059785:Karyotype; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000821:virology; D019098:Telomerase / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014083:Tooth Germ / Q000166:cytology*
chemical_list: D000952:Antigens, Polyomavirus Transforming; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; C509186:TERT protein, human; D019098:Telomerase