Differentiation potential of mesenchymal stem cells isolated from human dental tissues into non-mesodermal lineage

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) possess the ability to differentiate into non-mesodermal lineage, and examining their multi-potency will be beneficial for application in regenerative medicine. The present study investigated the differentiation capacity into neuronal cells of ectodermal lineage and pancreatic cells of endodermal lineage in each of MSC lines isolated from three samples of human dental papilla tissues (DPSCs). Isolated DPSC lines expressed CD13, CD44, CD73, CD90 and CD105 cell surface markers, and OCT-4, NANOG and SOX-2 transcription factors. Further, all DPSC lines differentiated into osteocytes, adipocytes and chondrocytes of mesodermal lineage, whereas telomerase activity was at a low level in all isolated DPSC lines. Following induction into neuronal cells of ectodermal lineage, the neuron-like morphological alterations and expression of neuro-filament M by immunocytochemical staining was observed in all types of DPSCs, and expression of neuronal cell-specific transcripts, NSE, MAP-2, and ...