Stefanie Bressan Werle

Effects of cryopreservation on the characteristics of dental pulp stem cells of intact deciduous teeth

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to isolate and cultivate cells from the pulp of 7-day-cryopreserved intact deciduous human teeth and evaluate the effect of cryopreservation on dental pulp stem cell (DPSC) characteristics. DESIGN Twenty-six deciduous teeth were collected and allocated in two groups: immediate cell isolation (non-cryopreserved group) and intact cryopreserved (cryopreserved group). The teeth were cryopreserved in dimethylsulfoxide solution and recovered after 7 days. The success rate of isolation, proliferation, surface markers (CD14, CD29, CD34, CD45, CD73, CD90, and HLA-DR), differentiation capacity, and morphology were evaluated. RESULTS Isolation success rate was 61% and 30% for the non-cryopreserved and cryopreserved groups, respectively. There were no statistical differences between the groups for the tested surface markers. The cells in both groups were capable of differentiating into three mesenchymal lineages. No statistical differences between the groups were observed through the time course proliferation assay (0, 1, 3, 5, and 7 days); however, the mean time between isolation and the fifth passage was shorter for the non-cryopreserved group (p=0.035). The morphology of the cells was considered altered in the cryopreserved group. CONCLUSION DPSCs were obtained from cryopreserved intact deciduous teeth without changes in the immunophenotypical characteristics and differentiation ability; however, lower culture rates, proliferation potential, and morphological alterations were observed in relation to the control group.

The effects of hypoxia on in vitro culture of dental-derived stem cells

The culture of cells under hypoxia is considered one of the hot topics of tissue engineering, especially when exploring the proliferation capacity, a critical step for cellular-based therapies. The use of in vitro hypoxic environment aims to simulate the oxygen concentrations found in stem cell niches. Dental tissues are attractive sources of stem cells, as they are obtained from discarded tissue, after third molar extraction and exfoliation deciduous teeth, respectively. However, small amounts of cells are obtained from these sources. Thus, optimizing the in vitro conditions for proliferation and differentiation of these cells is essential for future regenerative strategies. This review presents a summary of the results regarding the effect of hypoxia on dental-derived stem cells after an electronic search on PubMed databases. The studies show increased differentiation potential and paracrine action of dental-derived stem cells under hypoxic environment. There are controversies related to proliferation of dental-derived stem cells under induced hypoxia. The lack of standardization in cell culture techniques contributes to these biases and future studies should describe in more detail the protocols used. The knowledge regarding the effect of hypoxia on dental-derived stem cells needs further clarification for assisting the clinical application of these cells.

Laser surface engineering in dentistry

This chapter discusses the laser application in the oral cavity as an adjunct or an alternative to traditional approaches. This chapter first presents the effect of lasers on soft tissues (therapeutic use; surgical treatments; periodontal and endodontic applications) and the effect of lasers on hard tissues (caries detection; caries removal; caries prevention; treatment of dentin hypersensitivity by laser radiation; dental bleaching). Then the chapter discusses the new laser applications and future clinical researches.