A feasibility study of an in vitro differentiation potential toward insulin-producing cells by dental tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells

Dental tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells have been proposed as an alternative source for mesenchymal stem cells. Here, we investigated the differentiation ability toward insulin producing cells (IPCs) of human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) and human periodontal ligament stem cells (hPDLSCs). These cells expressed mesenchymal stem cell surface markers and were able to differentiate toward osteogenic and adipogenic lineages. Upon 3 step-IPCs induction, hDPSCs exhibited more colony number than hPDLSCs. The mRNA upregulation of pancreatic endoderm/islet markers was noted. However, the significant increase was noted only for PDX-1, NGN-3, and INSULIN mRNA expression of hDPSCs. The hDPSCs-derived IPCs expressed PRO-INSULIN and released C-PEPTIDE upon glucose stimulation in dose-dependent manner. After IPCs induction, the Notch target, HES-1 and HEY-1, mRNA expression was markedly noted. Notch inhibition during the last induction step or throughout the protocol disturbed the ability of C-PEPTIDE release upon glucose stimulation. The results suggested that hDPSCs had better differentiation potential toward IPCs than hPDLSCs. In addition, the Notch signalling might involve in the differentiation regulation of hDPSCs into IPCs.     

Identification of novel epithelial stem cell-like cells in human deciduous dental pulp

It is well known that interactions between epithelial components and mesenchymal components are essential for tooth development. Therefore, it has been postulated that both types of stem cells might be involved in the regeneration of dental hard tissues. Recently, mesenchymal dental pulp stem cells that have odontogenic potential were identified from human dental pulp. However, the existence of epithelial cells has never been reported in human dental pulp. In the present study, we isolated and characterized epithelial cell-like cells from human deciduous dental pulp. They had characteristic epithelial morphology and expressed epithelial markers. Moreover, they expressed epithelial stem cell-related genes such as ABCG2, Bmi-1, ΔNp63, and p75. Taken together, our findings suggest that epithelial stem cell-like cells might exist in human deciduous dental pulp and might play a role as an epithelial component for the repair or regeneration of teeth.     

Inflammatory environment induces gingival tissue‐specific mesenchymal stem cells to differentiate towards a pro‐fibrotic phenotype

Background Information

Human gingival tissues are prone to hyperplasia under inflammatory stimuli. We have identified gingival tissue‐specific mesenchymal stem cells (GMSCs) and found their functional change being correlated with drug‐induced gingival hyperplasia. However, whether these cells exhibit characteristics of pro‐fibrotic phenotype under inflammatory condition remains unknown.

Results

GMSCs isolated from human normal gingival tissues (N‐GMSC) and inflammatory gingival tissues (I‐GMSC) were cultured in vitro, representative cytokines were added to simulate the in vivo inflammatory environment. Under the influence of the inflammatory cytokines, GMSCs exhibited higher rate of proliferation than those under normal condition, while their potential for osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation was suppressed. The expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)‐1, MMP‐2, IL‐1, IL‐6, TNF‐α and type 1 collagen was significantly higher in I‐GMSCs than in N‐GMSCs. Furthermore, compared with dental pulp stem cells, GMSCs showed different pattern of gene expression and extracellular matrix formation in inflammatory environment.

Conclusions

Inflammatory microenvironment induces GMSCs to differentiate towards a pro‐fibrotic phenotype, which could underlie the hyperplastic appearance of inflammatory gingiva.     

Allogenic banking of dental pulp stem cells for innovative therapeutics

Medical research in regenerative medicine and cell-based therapy has brought encouraging perspectives for the use of stem cells in clinical trials. Multiple types of stem cells, from progenitors to pluripotent stem cells, have been investigated. Among these, dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) are mesenchymal multipotent cells coming from the dental pulp, which is the soft tissue within teeth. They represent an interesting adult stem cell source because they are recovered in large amount in dental pulps with non-invasive techniques compared to other adult stem cell sources. DPSCs can be obtained from discarded teeth, especially wisdom teeth extracted for orthodontic reasons. To shift from promising preclinical results to therapeutic applications to human, DPSCs must be prepared in clinical grade lots and transformed into advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMP). As the production of patient-specific stem cells is costly and time-consuming, allogenic biobanking of clinical grade human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-typed DPSC lines provides efficient innovative therapeutic products. DPSC biobanks represent industrial and therapeutic innovations by using discarded biological tissues (dental pulps) as a source of mesenchymal stem cells to produce and store, in good manufacturing practice (GMP) conditions, DPSC therapeutic batches. In this review, we discuss about the challenges to transfer biological samples from a donor to HLA-typed DPSC therapeutic lots, following regulations, GMP guidelines and ethical principles. We also present some clinical applications, for which there is no efficient therapeutics so far, but that DPSCs-based ATMP could potentially treat.     

沉默NHEJ修复通路中关键蛋白Ku70在牙髓干细胞增殖和凋亡中的作用及其机制研究

目的:研究沉默非同源重组修复(non-homologous endjoining,NHEJ)通路中关键蛋白Ku70在牙髓干细胞增殖和凋亡中的作用,分析其机制。方法:提取健康恒牙牙髓组织,进行牙髓干细胞培养。采用脂多糖诱导人牙髓干细胞,分为对照组、阴性对照组、脂多糖组、沉默组和沉默+脂多糖组。观察Ku70免疫组化情况,进行细胞增殖、细胞凋亡实验,检测γ-H2A.X、Ku70、X线修复交叉互补基因4(X-ray repair cross complementary gene 4,Xrcc4)、Rad51 m RNA、Cleaved Caspase-3、p-p38水平。结果:与沉默组相比,对照组、阴性对照组、脂多糖组、沉默+脂多糖组各时间段牙髓干细胞增殖降低;沉默+脂多糖牙髓干细胞增殖高于脂多糖组(P<0.05)。随时间延长,脂多糖组牙髓干细胞增殖不断降低,其他四组牙髓干细胞增殖不断升高,其中在第5 d变化最明显。第5d,与沉默组相比,对照组、阴性对照组牙髓干细胞凋亡率、γ-H2A.X、Rad51 m RNA,Cleaved Caspase-3降低,p-p38升高;脂多糖组、沉默+脂多糖组各项指标较高,p-p38降低;对照组、阴性对照组、脂多糖组、沉默+脂多糖组Ku70、Xrcc4 m RNA降低(P<0.05)。沉默+脂多糖组牙髓干细胞凋亡率、γ-H2A.X、Rad51 m RNA,Cleaved Caspase-3低于脂多糖组,p-p38高于脂多糖组(P<0.05)。结论:沉默Ku70能促进脂多糖诱导的牙髓干细胞增殖,抑制其凋亡,其可能与γ-H2A.X、Rad51 m RNA表达降低,Ku70,Xrcc4升高有关。     

脐带间充质干细胞牙向分化的可行性研究

再生医学近年来受到越来越多的重视。它开启了治疗由于老化,损伤及一些先天性缺陷所造成的缺损畸形的新途径。其临床应用已涉及到各种组织的修复,包括血液,皮肤,角膜,软骨和骨等。在口腔领域,目前治疗牙缺失主要依靠修复体,种植体和牙移植。然而这些方法都存在一定的缺陷。而通过再生医学的原理和方法实现牙再生治疗可以为机体提供有生命的,有功能的,相容性好的组织结构。种子细胞是牙再生的基础与关键。在牙再生研究中,牙髓间充质干细胞,牙乳头细胞,牙周膜间充质细胞,牙囊细胞及牙源性上皮细胞等牙源性干细胞常通过诱导分化为成釉细胞或成牙本质细胞来作为种子细胞应用,在临床上却难以获取,近来研究也有用骨髓间充质干细胞或脂肪间充质干细胞细胞等非牙源性干细胞者,但其牙向分化能力及分化调控机制还不明确。跻带间充质干细胞在新近的研究中较其它非牙源性干细胞表现出更大的优势,脐带间充质干细胞更原始、具有更高可塑性、更大扩增分化潜能。在此,本文就脐带间充质干细胞向牙细胞系分化的可能性做一论述,并对其可能实现的牙向分化给出可能的方法和策略,为牙再生种子细胞的选取提供新的思路。     

Cytokine physiognomies of MSCs from varied sources confirm the regenerative commitment post-coculture with activated neutrophils

The interaction of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) with paracrine signals and immunological cells, and their responses and regenerative commitment thereafter, is understudied. In the current investigation, we compared MSCs from the umbilical cord blood (UCB), dental pulp (DP), and liposuction material (LS) on their ability to respond to activated neutrophils. Cytokine profiling (interleukin-1α [IL-1α], IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor-α [TNF-α], interferon-γ [IFN-γ], transforming growth factor-β [TGF-β]), cellular proliferation and osteogenic differentiation patterns were assessed. The results showed largely comparable cytokine profiles with higher TNF-α and IFN-γ levels in LSMSCs owing to their mature cellular phenotype. The viability and proliferation between LS/DP/UCB MSCs were comparable in the coculture group, while direct activation of MSCs with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) showed comparable proliferation with significant cell death in UCB MSCs and slightly higher cell death in the other two types of MSC. Furthermore, when MSCs post-neutrophil exposure were induced for osteogenic differentiation, though all the MSCs devoid of the sources differentiated, we observed rapid and significant turnover of DPMSCs positive of osteogenic markers rather than LS and UCB MSCs. We further observed a significant turnover of IL-1α and TGF-β at mRNA and cytokine levels, indicating the commitment of MSCs to differentiate through interacting with immunological cells or bacterial products like neutrophils or LPS, respectively. Taken together, these results suggest that MSCs have more or less similar cytokine responses devoid of their anatomical niche. They readily switch over from the cytokine responsive cell phenotype at the immunological microenvironment to differentiate and regenerate tissue in response to cellular signals.     

Optimized cryopreservation method for human dental pulp-derived stem cells and their tissues of origin for banking and clinical use

Dental pulp is a promising source of mesenchymal stem cells with the potential for cell-mediated therapies and tissue engineering applications. We recently reported that isolation of dental pulp-derived stem cells (DPSC) is feasible for at least 120 h after tooth extraction, and that cryopreservation of early passage cultured DPSC leads to high-efficiency recovery post-thaw. This study investigated additional processing and cryobiological characteristics of DPSC, ending with development of procedures for banking. First, we aimed to optimize cryopreservation of established DPSC cultures, with regards to optimizing the cryoprotective agent (CPA), the CPA concentration, the concentration of cells frozen, and storage temperatures. Secondly, we focused on determining cryopreservation characteristics of enzymatically digested tissue as a cell suspension. Lastly, we evaluated the growth, surface markers and differentiation properties of DPSC obtained from intact teeth and undigested, whole dental tissue frozen and thawed using the optimized procedures. In these experiments it was determined that Me₂SO at a concentration between 1 and 1.5 M was the ideal cryopreservative of the three studied. It was also determined that DPSC viability after cryopreservation is not limited by the concentration of cells frozen, at least up to 2 × 10⁶ cells/mL. It was further established that DPSC can be stored at −85 °C or −196 °C for at least six months without loss of functionality. The optimal results with the least manipulation were achieved by isolating and cryopreserving the tooth pulp tissues, with digestion and culture performed post-thaw. A recovery of cells from >85% of the tissues frozen was achieved and cells isolated post-thaw from tissue processed and frozen with a serum free, defined cryopreservation medium maintained morphological and developmental competence and demonstrated MSC-hallmark trilineage differentiation under the appropriate culture conditions.     

Gingival-derived mesenchymal stem cells:An endless resource for regenerative dentistry

The gingiva, the masticatory portion of the oral mucosa, is excised and discarded frequently during routine dental treatments and following tooth extraction, dental crown lengthening, gingivectomy and periodontal surgeries. Subsequent to excision, healing eventually happens in a short time period after gingival surgery. Clinically, the gingival tissue can be collected very easily and, in the laboratory, it is also very easy to isolate gingival-derived mesenchymal stem cells (GMSCs) from this discarded gingival tissue. GMSCs, a stem cell population within the lamina propria of the gingival tissue, can be isolated from attached and free gingiva, inflamed gingival tissu-es, and from hyperplastic gingiva. Comparatively, they constitute more attractive alternatives to other dental-derived mesenchymal stem cells due to the availability and accessibility of gingival tissues. They have unique immunomodulatory functions and well-documented self-renewal and multipotent differentiation properties. They display positive signals for Stro-1, Oct-4 and SSEA-4 pluripotency-associated markers, with some co-expre-ssing Oct4/Stro-1 or Oct-4/SSEA-4. They should be considered as the best stem cell source for cell-based therapies and regenerative dentistry. The clinical use of GMSCs for regenerative dentistry represents an attrac-tive therapeutic modality. However, numerous biological and technical challenges need to be addressed prior to considering transplantation approaches of GMSCs as clinically realistic therapies for humans.     

The relationship between cell proliferation and differentiation and mapping of putative dental pulp stem/progenitor cells during mouse molar development by chasing BrdU-labeling

Human dental pulp contains adult stem cells. Our recent study demonstrated the localization of putative dental pulp stem/progenitor cells in the rat developing molar by chasing 5-bromo-2’-deoxyuridine (BrdU)-labeling. However, there are no available data on the localization of putative dental pulp stem/progenitor cells in the mouse molar. This study focuses on the mapping of putative dental pulp stem/progenitor cells in addition to the relationship between cell proliferation and differentiation in the developing molar using BrdU-labeling. Numerous proliferating cells appeared in the tooth germ and the most active cell proliferation in the mesenchymal cells occurred in the prenatal stages, especially on embryonic Day 15 (E15). Cell proliferation in the pulp tissue dramatically decreased in number by postnatal Day 3 (P3) when nestin-positive odontoblasts were arranged in the cusped areas and disappeared after postnatal Week 1 (P1W). Root dental papilla included numerous proliferating cells during P5 to P2W. Three to four intraperitoneal injections of BrdU were given to pregnant ICR mice and revealed slow-cycling long-term label-retaining cells (LRCs) in the mature tissues of postnatal animals. Numerous dense LRCs postnatally decreased in number and reached a plateau after P1W when they mainly resided in the center of the dental pulp, associating with blood vessels. Furthermore, numerous dense LRCs co-expressed mesenchymal stem cell markers such as STRO-1 and CD146. Thus, dense LRCs in mature pulp tissues were believed to be dental pulp stem/progenitor cells harboring in the perivascular niche surrounding the endothelium.     

The effect of Trimetazidine and Diazoxide on immunomodulatory activity of human embryonic stem cell-derived mesenchymal stem cell secretome

Comprehensive proteome profiling of the factors secreted by mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), referred to as secretome, revealed that it consists of cytokines, chemokines, growth factors, extracellular matrix proteins, and components of regeneration, vascularization, and hematopoiesis pathways. Harnessing this MSC secretome for therapeutic applications requires the optimization of production of secretary molecules. A variety of preconditioning methods have been introduced, which subject cells to stimulatory molecules to create the preferred response and stimulate persistent effects. Pharmacological preconditioning uses small molecules and drugs to increase survival of MSCs after transplantation or prolong release of effective secretary factors such as cytokines that improve immune system responses. In this study, we investigated the effect of secretome of human embryonic-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hESC-MSCs) preconditioned with Trimetazidine (TMZ) and Diazoxide (DZ) on immunomodulatory efficiency of these cells in LPS-induced peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). PBMCs were isolated from human peripheral blood and treated with concentrated hESC-MSC-derived conditioned medium and then, the secreted levels of IL-10, TNFα and IL-1β were assessed by ELISA after induction with LPS. The results showed that TMZ and DZ-conditioned medium significantly enhanced immunomodulatory potential of hESC-MSCs by increasing the secretion of IL-10, TNFα and IL-1β from LPS- induced PBMCs. We also found that hESC-MSCs did not secrete mentioned cytokines prior to or after the preconditioning with TMZ and DZ. In conclusion, our results implied that TMZ and DZ can be used to promote the immunomodulatory effects of hESC-MSC secretome. It is obvious that for applying of these findings in clinical demands, the potency of different pre-conditioned MSCs secretome on immune response needs to be more clarified.     

Comparison and Optimisation of Transfection of Human Dental Follicle Cells,a Novel Source of Stem Cells,with Different Chemical Methods and Electro-poration

Introduction Human dental follicle cells (HDFCs) derived from human impacted third molars (wisdom teeth) have been shown to be a significant source of adult stem cells. Generation of mesenchymal stem cell-like cells from dental follicles causes minimal surgical stress. In vitro and in vivo reports showed that HDFCs can be utilized in gene and cell therapy applications which make them an attractive alternative source for different gene-cell therapy applications. However, there are currently no systematic comparative studies on transfection potential of HDFC cells using different chemical and electro-poration techniques. Methods Stem cells from impacted third tooth molars were isolated, and analyzed for expression of surface markers. Transfection efficiencies of four commercially available transfection reagents (Transfast, Escort V, Superfect and FuGene HD) and electro-poration on isolated stem cells were compared. Results Isolated HDFCs were stained positive for CD105, CD90, CD73, CD166, and negative for CD34, CD45, and CD133. Among the chemical transfection reagents used in this study, FuGene HD was the most efficient in transfecting HDFCs, even in the presence of 10% serum. Conclusion Electro-poration of HDFCs yield relatively high transfection rates and cell viability when compared to chemical transfection techniques. Our observations might be useful for developing gene and cell therapy applications using dental follicle stem cells.     

基于PI3K/AKT通路探究上调miR-210对牙髓干细胞增殖、凋亡能力的影响

摘要 目的：研究基于磷脂酰肌醇3激酶(PI3K)/蛋白激酶B(AKT)通路探究上调微小RNA 210(miR-210)对大鼠牙髓干细胞增殖、凋亡能力的影响。方法：选取10只健康Sprague-Dawley（SD）雄性大鼠,颈椎脱臼处死后提取大鼠下切牙牙髓,进行牙髓干细胞培养和鉴定。分为正常组（未进行处理）,miR-210抑制组（给予20 nmol/L的miR-210抑制物）,miR-210对照组（给予20 nmol/L的miR-210模拟物）三组。采用CCK-8法检测牙髓干细胞增殖活性,酶联免疫吸附试验（ELISA）检测ALP活性,流式细胞仪检测细胞凋亡,采用免疫印迹（Western blot）检测PI3K、AKT蛋白。结果：与正常组相比,miR-210抑制组细胞增殖、ALP活性降低,细胞凋亡率升高;miR-210对照组细胞增殖、ALP活性升高,细胞凋亡率降低（P＜0.05）。与miR-210抑制组相比,miR-210对照组细胞增殖、ALP活性升高,细胞凋亡率降低（P＜0.05）。与正常组相比,miR-210抑制组PI3K、p-AKT蛋白表达降低,miR-210对照组PI3K、p-AKT蛋白表达升高（P＜0.05）。与miR-210抑制组相比,miR-210对照组PI3K、p-AKT蛋白表达升高（P＜0.05）。结论：miR-210通过调控PI3K、p-AKT蛋白激活PI3K/AKT通路,促进大鼠牙髓干细胞增殖,抑制牙髓干细胞凋亡。     

Basic fibroblast growth factor inhibits mineralization but induces neuronal differentiation by human dental pulp stem cells through a FGFR and PLCγ signaling pathway

Basic fibroblast growth factor (basic FGF) has pivotal roles in the function of various cell types. Here, we report the effects of basic FGF in the regulation of dental pulp stem cell (DPSC) behaviors including maintaining stemness and directing differentiation. Cells isolated from human dental pulp tissues exhibited stem cell properties including the expression of mRNA markers for embryonic and mesenchymal stem cells, the expression of Stro-1, and the multipotential differentiation. Basic FGF stimulated colony-forming units of DPSCs and up-regulated the expression of the embryonic stem cell markers; Oct4, Rex-1, and Nanog. Moreover, osteogenic medium containing basic FGF inhibited alkaline phosphatase enzymatic activity and mineralization of DPSCs. On the contrary, basic FGF appeared to be an influential growth factor in the neurogenic differentiation of DPSCs. In the presence of basic FGF, increased DPSCs neurosphere size and the up-regulation of neurogenic markers were noted. Inhibitors of FGFR or PLCγ were able to ablate the basic FGF-induced neuronal differentiation of DPSCs. Taken together, these results suggest basic FGF may be involved in the mechanisms controlling DPSCs cell fate decisions.     

Cells isolated from cryopreserved dental follicle display similar characteristics to cryopreserved dental follicle cells

Dental follicle tissue is a promising resource of mesenchymal stem cells for cytotherapeutic approaches and tissue engineering applications. There are two procedures for banking of human dental follicle stem cells have been reported. Conventional method requires cell isolation, expansion and immediate cryopreservation. Whereas dental follicle stem cells can be isolated from cryopreserved dental follicle fragments. The aim of this study was to compare the characteristics of dental follicle cells isolated from cryopreserved fragments (DFCs-CF) with dental follicle cells recovered from cryopreserved cells (DFCs-CC). Dental follicle fragments obtained after mechanical disaggregation were divided into two parts, with one part maintained in culture, while another part underwent cryopreservation. Dental follicle fragments and dental follicle cells from fresh tissue were stored in liquid nitrogen for 3 months. After thawing, the isolation, morphology, proliferation, cell cycle, colony-forming-unit ability, stemness-related marker expression, apoptosis, and multi-lineage differentiation potential of DFCs-CF were tested compared with DFCs-CC. DFCs-CF expressed mesenchymal stem cells marker, proliferated well, showed similar levels of mRNA for stemness- and apoptosis-related genes and exhibited the capacity of multi-lineage differentiation similar to those of DFCs-CC. These results imply that cryopreservation of dental follicle fragments is an effective banking method for isolation of dental follicle cells.     

Co-culture of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and macrophages attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation in human corneal epithelial cells

Dry eye syndrome (DES) is considered as an ocular surface inflammatory disease. Previous studies have shown inflammation plays an important role in the progression and onset of DES. Co-culture of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (HBMSCs) and macrophages showed immunomodulatory effects via regulation of cytokine regulation. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the interaction of these cells on in vitro DES model. The conditioned media (CM) from macrophages, HBMSCs, and HBMSCs + macrophages were treated to human corneal epithelial cells, which showed significant reduction in IL-1α and IL-1β expression levels in HBMSCs + macrophages group. Moreover, the IL-1 Receptor Antagonist (IL-1RA) was highly expressed in the CM from the HBMSCs + macrophages group. Wounded eyes of mice were treated with IL-1RA at 0–100 ng/mL for 16 h, the wound size was reduced. The results of this study might lead to the identification of new therapeutic targets for DES.     

Human dental pulp stem cells: Applications in future regenerative medicine

Stem cells are pluripotent cells, having a property of differentiating into various types of cells of human body. Several studies have developed mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from various human tissues, peripheral blood and body fluids. These cells are then characterized by cellular and molecular markers to understand their specific phenotypes. Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) are having a MSCs phenotype and they are differentiated into neuron, cardiomyocytes, chondrocytes, osteoblasts, liver cells and β cells of islet of pancreas. Thus, DPSCs have shown great potentiality to use in regenerative medicine for treatment of various human diseases including dental related problems. These cells can also be developed into induced pluripotent stem cells by incorporation of pluripotency markers and use for regenerative therapies of various diseases. The DPSCs are derived from various dental tissues such as human exfoliated deciduous teeth, apical papilla, periodontal ligament and dental follicle tissue. This review will overview the information about isolation, cellular and molecular characterization and differentiation of DPSCs into various types of human cells and thus these cells have important applications in regenerative therapies for various diseases. This review will be most useful for postgraduate dental students as well as scientists working in the field of oral pathology and oral medicine.     

The homing of human cord blood stem cells to sites of inflammation: Unfolding mysteries of a novel therapeutic paradigm for glioblastoma multiforme

Efficient homing of human umbilical cord blood mesenchymal stem cells (hUCBSC) to inflammation sites is crucial for therapeutic use. In glioblastoma multiforme, soluble factors released by the tumor facilitate the migratory capacity of mesenchymal stem cells toward glioma cells. These factors include chemokines and growth inducers. Nonetheless, the mechanistic details of these factors involved in hUCBSC homing have not been clearly delineated. The present study is aimed to deduce specific factors involved in hUCBSC homing by utilizing a glioma stem cell-induced inflammatory lesion model in the mouse brain. Our results show that hUCBSC do not form tumors in athymic nude mice brains and do not elicit immune responses in immunocompetent SKH1 mice. Further, hUCBSC spheroids migrate and invade glioma spheroids, while no effect was observed on rat fetal brain aggregates. Several cytokines, including GRO, MCP-1, IL-8, IL-3, IL-10, Osteopontin and TGF-β2, were constitutively secreted in the naive hUCBSC-conditioned medium, while significant increases of IL-8, GRO, GRO-α, MCP-1 and MCP-2 were observed in glioma stem cell-challenged hUCBSC culture filtrates. Furthermore, hUCBSC showed a stronger migration capacity toward glioma stem cells in vitro and exhibited enhanced migration to glioma stem cells in an intracranial human malignant glioma xenograft model. Our results indicate that multiple cytokines are involved in recruitment of hUCBSC toward glioma stem cells, and that hUCBSC are a potential candidate for glioma therapy.     

牙髓干细胞的研究进展

牙髓干细胞是来源于牙髓组织中的一种成体干细胞,该种细胞具有高度增殖、自我更新的能力和多向分化潜能。牙髓干细胞的研究对牙髓再生、牙体修复等牙组织工程将产生重要的意义。该文就牙髓干细胞的研究现状作一综述,并对其应用前景进行探讨。