Stromal phenotype of dental follicle stem cells

Maxillofacial-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells: Characteristics and Progress in Tissue Regeneration

Maxillofacial-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MFSCs) are a particular collective type of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) that originate from the hard and soft tissue of the maxillofacial region. Recently, many types of MFSCs have been isolated and characterized. MFSCs have the common characteristics of being extremely accessible and amazingly multipotent and thus have become a promising stem cell resource in tissue regeneration. However, different MFSCs can give rise to different cell lineages, have different advantages in clinical use, and regulate the immune and inflammation microenvironment through paracrine mechanisms in different ways. Hence, in this review, we will concentrate on the updated new findings of all types of MFSCs in tissue regeneration and also introduce the recently discovered types of MFSCs. Important issues about proliferation and differentiation in vitro and in vivo, up-to-date clinical application, and paracrine effect of MFSCs in tissue regeneration will also be discussed. Our review may provide a better guide for the clinical use of MFSCs and further direction of research in MFSC regeneration medicine.

Characteristics, Classification, and Application of Stem Cells Derived from Human Teeth

Since mesenchymal stem cells derived from human teeth are characterized as having the properties of excellent proliferation, multilineage differentiation, and immune regulation. Dental stem cells exhibit fibroblast-like microscopic appearance and express mesenchymal markers, embryonic markers, and vascular markers but do not express hematopoietic markers. Dental stem cells are a mixed population with different sensitive markers, characteristics, and therapeutic effects. Single or combined surface markers are not only helpful for understanding the subpopulation of mixed stem cell populations according to cell function but also for improving the stable treatment effect of dental stem cells. Focusing on the discovery and characterization of stem cells isolated from human teeth over the past 20 years, this review outlines the effect of marker sorting on cell proliferation and differentiation ability and the assessment of the clinical application potential. Classified dental stem cells from markers and functional molecules can solve the problem of heterogeneity and ensure the efficacy of cell therapy strategies including dentistry, neurologic diseases, bone repair, and tissue engineering.

Dental Follicle Cells: Roles in Development and Beyond

Dental follicle cells (DFCs) are a group of mesenchymal progenitor cells surrounding the tooth germ, responsible for cementum, periodontal ligament, and alveolar bone formation in tooth development. Cascades of signaling pathways and transcriptional factors in DFCs are involved in directing tooth eruption and tooth root morphogenesis. Substantial researches have been made to decipher multiple aspects of DFCs, including multilineage differentiation, senescence, and immunomodulatory ability. DFCs were proved to be multipotent progenitors with decent amplification, immunosuppressed and acquisition ability. They are able to differentiate into osteoblasts/cementoblasts, adipocytes, neuron-like cells, and so forth. The excellent properties of DFCs facilitated clinical application, as exemplified by bone tissue engineering, tooth root regeneration, and periodontium regeneration. Except for the oral and maxillofacial regeneration, DFCs were also expected to be applied in other tissues such as spinal cord defects (SCD), cardiomyocyte destruction. This article reviewed roles of DFCs in tooth development, their properties, and clinical application potentials, thus providing a novel guidance for tissue engineering.