Stem Cells Derived from Human Exfoliated Deciduous Teeth Functional Assessment: Exploring the Changes of Free Fatty Acids Composition during Cultivation

The metabolic regulation of stemness is widely recognized as a crucial factor in determining the fate of stem cells. When transferred to a stimulating and nutrient-rich environment, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) undergo rapid proliferation, accompanied by a change in protein expression and a significant reconfiguration of central energy metabolism. This metabolic shift, from quiescence to metabolically active cells, can lead to an increase in the proportion of senescent cells and limit their regenerative potential. In this study, MSCs from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHEDs) were isolated and expanded in vitro for up to 10 passages. Immunophenotypic analysis, growth kinetics, in vitro plasticity, fatty acid content, and autophagic capacity were assessed throughout cultivation to evaluate the functional characteristics of SHEDs. Our findings revealed that SHEDs exhibit distinctive patterns of cell surface marker expression, possess high self-renewal capacity, and have a unique potential for neurogenic differentiation. Aged SHEDs exhibited lower proliferation rates, reduced potential for chondrogenic and osteogenic differentiation, an increasing capacity for adipogenic differentiation, and decreased autophagic potential. Prolonged cultivation of SHEDs resulted in changes in fatty acid composition, signaling a transition from anti-inflammatory to proinflammatory pathways. This underscores the intricate connection between metabolic regulation, stemness, and aging, crucial for optimizing therapeutic applications.

Migration Capacity of Stem Cells from Human Exfoliated Deciduous Teeth Towards Glioma

BACKGROUND

Stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED) are a mesenchymal stem cell type and have recently attracted attention for their high proliferative rate, multipotency, and immunosuppressive properties. However, SHED have not yet been investigated for anticancer properties. We therefore investigated whether SHED can be used as a treatment modality, particularly for anti-glioma therapy.

METHODS

In vitro, we examined the mobility of SHED and their ability to migrate towards glioma-conditioned medium and specific growth factors secreted by malignant gliomas. In vivo, we transplanted SHED into the left hemisphere of nude mice that had been previously implanted with human malignant glioma U87 cells into the right hemisphere. We assessed whether SHED had tumorigenic potential.

RESULTS

SHED exhibited strong migration ability towards malignant glioma in both in vitro and in vivo assays. In vitro, SHED migrated towards glioma-conditioned medium and specific growth factors such as stem cell factor, platelet-derived growth factor BB, C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 12, and vascular endothelial growth factor. SHED were accumulated around tumor cells in the contralateral hemisphere 1 week after transplantation. Moreover, SHED remained in the brains of nude mice 150 days after transplantation. Finally, we verified that SHED had no malignant transformation or engraftment of SHED in the mouse brain.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings indicate that SHED can potentially be applied to track malignant glioma.

The Potential Application of Human Gingival Fibroblast-Conditioned Media in Pulp Regeneration: An In Vitro Study

Regenerative endodontic treatment based on tissue engineering has recently gained interest in contemporary restorative dentistry. However, low survival rates and poor potential differentiation of stem cells could undermine the success rate of pulp regenerative therapy. Human gingival fibroblast-conditioned medium (hGF-CM) has been considered a potential therapy for tissue regeneration due to its stability in maintaining multiple factors essential for tissue regeneration compared to live cell transplantation. This study aimed to investigate the potency of hGF-CM on stem cells from human dental pulp (DPSC) in pulp regeneration. A series of experiments confirmed that hGF-CM contributes to a significant increase in proliferation, migration capability, and cell viability of DPSC after H2O2 exposure. Moreover, it has been proved to facilitate the odontogenic differentiation of DPSC via qRT-PCR, ALP (alkaline phosphatase), and ARS (Alizarin Red S) staining. It has been discovered that such highly upregulated odontogenesis is related to certain types of ECM proteins (collagen and laminin) from hGF-CM via proteomics. In addition, it is found that the ERK pathway is a key mechanism via inhibition assay based on RNA-seq result. These findings demonstrate that hGF-CM could be beneficial biomolecules for pulp regeneration.

Stem Cells from Human Exfoliated Deciduous Teeth and their Promise as Preventive and Therapeutic Strategies for Neurological Diseases and Injuries

Stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHEDs) are relatively easy to isolate from exfoliated deciduous teeth, which are obtained via dental therapy as biological waste. SHEDs originate from the embryonic neural crest and therefore have considerable potential for neurogenic differentiation. Currently, an increasing amount of research attention is focused on the therapeutic applications of SHEDs in neurological diseases and injuries. In this article, we summarize the biological characteristics of SHEDs and the potential role of SHEDs and their derivatives, including conditioned medium from SHEDs and the exosomes they secrete, in the prevention and treatment of neurological diseases and injuries.

Human Exfoliated Deciduous Teeth Stem Cells: Features and Therapeutic Effects on Neurogenerative and Hepatobiliary-pancreatic Diseases

Stem cells can multiply into more cells with similar types in an undifferentiated form and differentiate into other types of cells. The great success and key essence of stem cell technology is the isolation of high-quality Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) with high potency, either with multipotent or pluripotent property. In this line, Stem cells from Human Exfoliated Deciduous teeth (SHEDs) are highly proliferative stem cells from dental pulp and have multipoint differentiation capacity. These cells play a pivotal role in regenerative medicine, such as cell repair associated with neurodegenerative, hepatobiliary, and pancreatic diseases. In addition, stem cell therapy has been widely used to regulate immune response and repair of tissue lesions. This overview captured the differential biological characteristics, and the potential role of stem cell technology and paid special attention to human welfare SHEDs in eliminating the above-mentioned diseases. This review provides further insights into stem cell technology by expanding the therapeutic potential of SHEDs in tissue engineering and cell organ repairs.