Determination of Cryoprotectant for Magnetic Cryopreservation of Dental Pulp Tissue

Research progress on optimization of in vitro isolation, cultivation and preservation methods of dental pulp stem cells for clinical application

Due to high proliferative capacity, multipotent differentiation, immunomodulatory abilities, and lack of ethical concerns, dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) are promising candidates for clinical application. Currently, clinical research on DPSCs is in its early stages. The reason for the failure to obtain clinically effective results may be problems with the production process of DPSCs. Due to the different preparation methods and reagent formulations of DPSCs, cell characteristics may be affected and lead to inconsistent experimental results. Preparation of clinical-grade DPSCs is far from ready. To achieve clinical application, it is essential to transit the manufacturing of stem cells from laboratory grade to clinical grade. This review compares and analyzes experimental data on optimizing the preparation methods of DPSCs from extraction to resuscitation, including research articles, invention patents and clinical trials. The advantages and disadvantages of various methods and potential clinical applications are discussed, and factors that could improve the quality of DPSCs for clinical application are proposed. The aim is to summarize the current manufacture of DPSCs in the establishment of a standardized, reliable, safe, and economic method for future preparation of clinical-grade cell products.

Dental stem cell banking: Techniques and protocols

Dental tissue-derived stem cells (DSCs) provide an easy, accessible, relatively noninvasive promising source of adult stem cells (ASCs), which brought encouraging prospective for their clinical applications. DSCs provide a perfect opportunity to apply for a patient's own ASC, which poses a low risk of immune rejection. However, problems associated with the long-term culture of stem cells, including loss of proliferation and differentiation capacities, senescence, genetic instability, and the possibility of microbial contamination, make cell banking necessary. With the rapid development of advanced cryopreservation technology, various international DSC banks have been established for both research and clinical applications around the world. However, few studies have been published that provide step-by-step guidance on DSCs isolation and banking methods. The purpose of this review is to present protocols and technical details for all steps of cryopreserved DSCs, from donor selection, isolation, cryopreservation, to characterization and quality control. Here, the emphasis is on presenting practical principles in accordance with the available valid guidelines.

Application of cryopreservation to tooth germ transplantation for root development and tooth eruption

We cryopreserved mouse tooth germs with widely open cervical margins of the enamel organ to overcome difficulties in cryoprotectant permeation and tested their efficacy by transplanting them into recipient mice. The upper right first molar germs of 8-day-old donor mice were extracted and categorized into the following four groups according to cryopreservation time: no cryopreservation, 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months. The donor tooth germs were transplanted into the upper right first molar germ sockets of the 8-day-old recipient mice. The upper left first molars of the recipient mice were used as controls. The outcome of the transplantation was assessed at 1, 2, and 3 weeks after transplantation. Stereomicroscopic evaluation revealed that most of the transplanted teeth erupted by 3 weeks after transplantation. Micro-computed tomography analysis revealed root elongation in the transplanted groups as well as in the controls. There was no significant difference between the cryopreserved and non-cryopreserved transplanted teeth, but the roots of the cryopreserved teeth were significantly shorter than those of the control teeth. Histological examination revealed root and periodontal ligament formations in all the transplanted groups. These results suggest that the transplantation of cryopreserved tooth germs facilitates subsequent root elongation and tooth eruption.

Cryopreservation of Dental Stem Cells

Nowadays, regenerative and reparative medicine has grown in popularity. Dental stem cells are easily accessible source of adult stem cells. They can be harvested by a tooth extraction or spontaneous deciduous tooth exfoliation. They have to be isolated, expanded and stored until time they would be needed for individual stem cell therapy. Cryopreservation is both a short-term and long-term storage of tissues or cells at sub-zero temperatures. There are several methods of cryopreservation requiring different technologies. The objective of this review is to compare them and highlight their advantages and disadvantages.

Does Cryopreservation Affect the Biological Properties of Stem Cells from Dental Tissues? A Systematic Review

This systematic review evaluated if different cryopreservation protocols could affect biological properties (Cell survival rate (CSR), proliferation, differentiation, maintenance of stem cell markers) of stem cells obtained from dental tissues (DSC) post-thaw. An electronic search was carried out within PubMed and ISI Web Science by using specific keyword. Two independent reviewers read the titles and abstracts of all reports respecting predetermined inclusion/exclusion criteria. Data were extracted considering the biological properties of previously cryopreserved DSCs and previously cryopreserved dental tissues. DSCs cryopreserved as soon as possible after their isolation presents a CSR quite similar to the non-cryopreserved DSC. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) [10%] showed good results related to cell recovery post-thaw to cryopreserve cells and tissues for periods of up to 2 years. The cryopreservation of DSC in a mechanical freezer (-80°C) allows the recovery of stem cells post-thaw. The facilities producing magnetic field (MF), demand a lower concentration of cryoprotectant, but their use is not dispensable. It is possible to isolate and cryopreserve dental pulp stem cell (DPSC) from healthy and diseased vital teeth. Cryopreservation of dental tissues for late DSC isolation, combined with MF dispensability, could be valuable to reduce costs and improve the logistics to develop teeth banks.

Cryopreservation of human dental follicle tissue for use as a resource of autologous mesenchymal stem cells

The main purpose of this study was to develop a cryopreservation method for human dental follicle tissue to maintain autologous stem cells as a resource. A modified cryoprotectant, consisting of 0.05 m glucose, 0.05 m sucrose and 1.5 m ethylene glycol in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) was employed, with a slow-ramp freezing rate. We observed > 70% of cell survival rate after 3 months of tissue storage. Isolated and cultured human dental stem cells (hDSCs) from cryopreserved dental follicles expressed mesenchymal stem cell markers at a level similar to that of hDSCs from fresh tissue. They also successfully differentiated in vitro into the mesenchymal lineage, osteocytes, adipocytes and chondrocytes under specific inductions. Using immunohistochemistry, the early transcription factors OCT4, NANOG and SOX2 were moderately or weakly detected in the nucleus of both fresh and cryopreserved dental follicles. In addition, p63, CCND1, BCL2 and BAX protein expression levels were the same in both fresh and cryopreserved tissues. However, the positive-cell ratio and intensity of p53 protein was higher in cryopreserved tissues than in fresh tissues, indicating direct damage of the freeze-thawing process. Real-time PCR analysis of hDSCs at passage 2 from both fresh and cryopreserved dental follicles showed similar levels of mRNA for apoptosis- and transcription-related genes. Based on these results, a newly developed cryoprotectant, along with a slow ramp rate freezing procedure allows for long-term dental tissue preservation for later use as an autologous stem cell resource in regenerative cell therapy. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Viability of pulp stromal cells in cryopreserved deciduous teeth

The cryopreservation of exfoliated deciduous teeth and harvesting of stem cells from them as required would reduce the costs and efforts associated with banking stem cells from primary teeth. The aim of this study was determine whether the viability of pulp stromal cells from deciduous teeth was influenced by the cryopreservation process itself or the period of cryopreservation. In total, 126 deciduous teeth were divided into three groups: (1) fresh, (2) cryopreserved for <3 months (cryo<3), and (3) cryopreserved for 3-9 months (cryo3-9). The viability of the pulp tissues was compared among the three groups by evaluating the outgrowth from pulp tissues and cell activity within those pulp tissues. In addition, the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay was performed to compare cell apoptosis within fresh pulp tissue and pulp tissue that had been cryopreserved for 4 months. The outgrowth from and cell activity within the pulp tissues did not differ significantly between the fresh and cryo<3 pulp tissues. However, these parameters were significantly reduced in the cryo3-9 pulp tissue. In TUNEL assay, 4-month cryopreserved pulp tissues has more apoptotic cells than fresh group. In conclusion, it is possible to acquire pulp stromal cells from cryopreserved deciduous teeth. However, as the period of cryopreservation becomes longer, it is difficult to get pulp cells due to reduced cell viability.