Isolation and characterization of dental pulp stem cells from permanent third molars

Objective: To characterize pulp stem cells and evaluate their capacity for expansion and differentiation in vitro.Methods: Pulp tissue was collected from permanent third molars and digested and then the cells were seeded onto plates containing HDMEM medium. Expansion of the cells was performed and then differentiation tests were conducted with osteogenic, chondrogenic and adipogenic induction media; followed by determination of immunophenotypical profiles using specific antibodies with assessment by flow cytometry.Results: It was observed that the pulp stem cells exhibited the capacity to adhere to plastic and a high rate of expansion and, after detection with specific stains, it was shown that the cells were capable of differentiation into osteoblasts and chondroblasts, but not into adipocytes. Analysis of the cellular phenotype showed that the cells were negative for CD45, CD69, CD117 and HLA-DR, and positive for CD13, CD44, CD73, CD90 and CD105.Conclusions: The cells isolated from dental pulp exhibited characteristics compatible with those expected for mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and are good candidates for cell therapy applications and tissue bioengineering