title: Neurogenic differentiation of dental pulp stem cells to neuron-like cells in dopaminergic and motor neuronal inductive media.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) have been proposed as a promising source of stem cells in nerve regeneration due to their close embryonic origin and ease of harvest. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of dopaminergic and motor neuronal inductive media on transdifferentiation of human DPSCs (hDPSCs) into neuron-like cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  Isolation, cultivation, and identification of hDPSCs were performed with morphological analyses and flow cytometry. The proliferation potential of DPSCs was evaluated with an XTT [(2,3-bis-(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide)] assay. Media for the induction of dopaminergic and spinal motor neuronal differentiation were prepared. The efficacy of neural induction was evaluated by detecting the expression of neuron cell-specific cell markers in DPSCs by immunocytochemistry and quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the XTT assay, there was a 2.6- or 2-fold decrease in DPSCs cultured in dopaminergic or motor neuronal inductive media, respectively. The proportions of βIII-tubulin (βIII-tub), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and oligodendrocyte (O1)-positive cells were significantly higher in DPSCs cultured in both neuronal inductive media compared with those cultured in control media. Furthermore, hDPSC-derived dopaminergic and spinal motor neuron cells after induction expressed a higher density of neuron cell markers than those before induction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that in response to the neuronal inductive stimuli, a greater proportion of DPSCs stop proliferation and acquire a phenotype resembling mature neurons. Such neural crest-derived adult DPSCs may provide an alternative stem cell source for therapy-based treatments of neuronal disorders and injury.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Clinical Dentistry, School of Dentistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Taitung Animal Propagation Station COA-LRI, Taitung, 954, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chia-Chieh
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Clinical Dentistry, School of Dentistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Kai-Chun
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Clinical Dentistry, School of Dentistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Dentistry, Cardinal Tien Hospital, Yung Ho Branch, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shang-Jye
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Clinical Dentistry, School of Dentistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Dentistry, School of Dentistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Dentistry, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hao-Hueng
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Clinical Dentistry, School of Dentistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Dentistry, School of Dentistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Dentistry, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: chunpinlin@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Chun-Pin
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D053687:Adult Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation / Q000032:analysis; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase / Q000032:analysis; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D003782:Dental Pulp / Q000166:cytology*; D059290:Dopaminergic Neurons / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D014404:Tubulin / Q000032:analysis; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000943:Antigens, Differentiation; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; C498585:TUBB3 protein, human; D014404:Tubulin; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase
keywords: dental pulp stem cells; dopaminergic neuronal inductive media; motor neuronal inductive media; neuron-like cells