Abstracto

Stem cells from dental tissue that are pancreatic beta cells.

Daisuke Nanba

Despite recent advancements in the methods used to differentiate stem cells into the pancreatic beta cell lineage, the current protocols are not tailored for various cell types. This study compares and contrasts the ability of stem cells from periodontal ligament and dental pulp, two anatomically distinct dental tissues, to differentiate into pancreatic beta cells while determining the best protocol for each cell type. Two protocols were used to separate DPSCs and PDLSCs, characterize them morphologically and phenotypically, and then differentiate them into pancreatic beta cells. By using qRT-PCR, the expression of the pancreatic-related markers Foxa-2, Sox-17, PDX-1, Ngn-3, INS, and Gcg was evaluated in differentiated cells. Insulin release was measured using an ELISA to perform a functional assessment of differentiation. All tested genes had significantly higher levels of expression in DPSCs and PDLSCs after Protocol 2 with Geltrex was implemented. In comparison to undifferentiated cells, DPSCs and PDLSCs demonstrated improved response to increased glucose concentration. Additionally, under both protocols, DPSCs showed superior potency toward pancreatic lineage differentiation over PDLSCs. The current study concludes by highlighting the promising potential of dental-derived stem cells to differentiate into pancreatic lineage by choosing the appropriate protocol.