Isolation and culture of stem cells derived from dental pulp of permanent teeth: a successful method

Purpose: To characterize pulp cells from permanent teeth for stem cell parameters, through the expression of stem cells markers and the ability to differentiate into osteogenic, chondrogenic and adipogenic cell lineages. Methods: The pulp tissue was obtained from the wisdom teeth from patients between 16 to 18 years old, placed in a 6-well plate containing proper culture medium and stored at 37°C and 5% CO2 for cell proliferation via the explant method and plastic adherence. Cells were tested for surface marker expression and for ALDH1 (aldehyde dehydrogenase1) activity by flow cytometry. Also, cells were examined for multi-differentiation capacity. Results: Cells on fifth passage showed high expression for CD44, CD73 and CD90, whereas moderate expression was found for STRO-1 and ALDH1, by the flow cytometry analysis. On the same passages, cells were able to differentiate into the three cell lineages tested. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the explant method is a suitable and successful method for the isolation and culture of stem cells from dental pulp of permanent teeth. Likewise, the isolated cells may be considered stem cells, based on the current criteria for the characterization of such cells, showing promising potential for application in tissue regeneration.