Abstract
Stem-cell-based therapies provide a biological basis for the regeneration of mineralised tissues. Stem cells isolated from adipose tissue (ADSCs), bone marrow (BMSCs) and dental pulp (DPSCs) have the capacity to form mineralised tissue. However, studies comparing the capacity of ADSCs with BMSCs and DPSCs for mineralised tissue engineering are lacking, and their ability to regenerate dental tissues has not been fully explored. Characterisation of the cells using fluorescence-activated cell sorting and semi-quantitative reverse transcription PCR for MSC markers indicated that they were immunophenotypically similar. Alizarin red (AR) staining and micro-computed tomography (µCT) analyses demonstrated that the osteogenic potential of DPSCs was significantly greater than that of BMSCs and ADSCs. Scanning electron microscopy and AR staining showed that the pattern of mineralisation in DPSC cultures differed from ADSCs and BMSCs, with DPSC cultures lacking defined mineralised nodules and instead forming a diffuse layer of low-density mineral. Dentine matrix components (DMCs) were used to promote dentinogenic differentiation. Their addition to cultures resulted in increased amounts of mineral deposited in all three cultures and significantly increased the density of mineral deposited in BMSC cultures, as determined by µCT analysis. Addition of DMCs also increased the relative gene expression levels of the dentinogenic markers dentine sialophosphoprotein and dentine matrix protein 1 in ADSC and BMSC cultures. In conclusion, DPSCs show the greatest potential to produce a comparatively high volume of mineralised matrix; however, both dentinogenesis and mineral volume was enhanced in ADSC and BMSC cultures by DMCs, suggesting that these cells show promise for regenerative dental therapies.