title: Enrichment and Schwann Cell Differentiation of Neural Crest-derived Dental Pulp Stem Cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  As already described in previous studies, neural crest stem cells (NCSCs) can be found in adult human dental pulp. The present study investigated the methodology for enrichment and differentiation-induction of the above mentioned cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  Dental pulp was extracted from human wisdom teeth of four patients and subsequently cultured as explants on fibronectin-coated plates in neurobasal medium supplemented with B27, basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), insulin, l-glutamine and neuregulin-β1. The cells were then characterized by immunofluorescence, while their differentiation-potential was tested by the attempt to induce cells into different lineages, i.e. osteogenic, melanocytic and glial.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The enriched cell population expressed nestin, CD271 and SOX10, which are well-known markers for NCSCs. Consequently, the cells were successfully induced to differentiate into osteoblasts, melanocytes and Schwann cells, expressing the corresponding differentiation markers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Human adult dental pulp contains a population of stem cells with neural crest ontogeny, which can thus be recruited for multiple regenerative therapies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany h.al-zer@uke.de alzer_heba@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Heba
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Al-Zer
authors.affiliation: Department of Tissue Engineering and Textile Implants, Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, Helmholtz Institute of the RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Apel
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Max
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heiland
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Reinhard E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Friedrich
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Ole
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Nadja
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kroeger
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Eichhorn
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Smeets
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D053687:Adult Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002465:Cell Movement; D002469:Cell Separation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003782:Dental Pulp / Q000166:cytology*; D006801:Humans; D009432:Neural Crest / Q000166:cytology*; D012583:Schwann Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase
keywords: Dental pulp; Schwann cells; neural crest; stem cells