Bone formation from dental pulp stem cells

Abstract

Bone regeneration has been the subject of many studies and a constant challenge for regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. Different types of biomaterials have been developed in order to repair degenerative or post-traumatic bone defects. However, so far none of them have been able to replace autologous bone grafting. Although this procedure represents the grafting modality of choice, it is not always possible to carry it out, since it might require the extraction of a big amount of tissue from another bone of the patient. Therefore, the possibility of generating bone in vitro from the patients own stem cells would be of great clinical significance. The use of mesenchymal stem cells from adult bone marrow and from other adult sources has already been described in the literature. In the last years, dental pulp of deciduous and permanent teeth has been considered a new and accessible source of adult mesenchymal stem cells. These cells have a highly proliferative and clonogenic potential and are also able to differentiate into the osteogenic lineage and give rise to an autologous, fibrous, and living bone that could be used in bone regeneration and reconstructive medicine. The aim of this review is to describe dental pulp as a source of adult stem cells and the use of various techniques that allow the osteogenic differentiation of these cells and the formation of bone; highlighting the importance of accessibility to these adult stem cells, the low risk of morbidity for the patient, and their high potential to become bone-forming cells.