Kemik doku mühendisliğinde diş germ kaynaklı kök hücreler: Osteo-odontojenik potansiyel

Bone tissue engineering (BTE) needs a reliable stem cell source, appropriate 3D scaffolds and growth factors. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are attractive stem cell sources for BTE since their differentiation can be controlled and they have high clonogenic capacity. In particular, dental tissue derived MSCs are favorable candidates due to their high osteogenic capacity, easy access, no donor site morbidity and availability of human source without any ethical problems. Aim of this study was to determine most appropriate and applicable dental stem cell source for BTE by comparing clonogenic characteristics and osteogenic differentiation capability of dental germ stem cell (TGSC), dental follicle stem cell (DFSC) and stem cell from apical papilla (SCAP) tissues and to obtain bone-like tissue by seeding the cells with higher osteogenic capacity on fibrous PBS:PLGA composite scaffold. For these purposes, dental germ, follicle and apical papilla tissues of third molars were extracted from 6-month-old pigs due to their similarities to humans and stem cells from these tissues were isolated by explant culture. Mesenchymal characteristics of cells were proved and differentiation studies were performed. Their osteogenic differentiation potential in cell culture plates and on the fibrous composite PBS:PLGA scaffolds which were fabricated by wet spinning were detected in terms of mineral deposition, ALP activity and gene expressions. The best scaffolds were chosen as a result of degradation analysis, mechanical analysis and cell viability test. These studies showed that stem cells from three different sources had great osteogenic differentiation capacity in tissue culture plates but SCAP achieved higher and faster osteogenic differentiation. However, all cells had similar mineralization and bone marker expression on scaffold at the end of 21 days of osteogenic induction. Also, wet spun 20 percent PBS:PLGA (1:1) scaffold was shown to be an excellent candidate for BTE due to its good mechanical properties and physiological features.