A Study of the Major Components of the PluriNet Network Expression in Dental Pulp Stem Cells Isolated from Human Third Molar Teeth

Objective: The objective of this study was to isolate and culture human dental pulp stem cells to study important stem cell markers in them. Materials and Methods: Dental stem cells were isolated from human pulp and cultured in alpha-modified eagle’s medium (?-MEM) supplemented with 20% fetal bovine serum (FBS) in a 37°C incubator with 5% CO2 and photographed under inverted microscope. The expressions of the important stem cell markers were analyzed by reverse transcrip- tion polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and agarose gel electrophoresis in the cells at different passages. Results: Cells isolated from dental pulp showed a high rate of proliferation and were cultured to more than 15 passages in vitro. The study of gene expression by RT-PCR showed that these cells expressed nucleostemin, cyclin D1, Oct-4 and nanog (major com- ponents of the PluriNet) in different passages as well as under serum-free conditions. Conclusion: Cells isolated from dental pulp are genuine pluripotent stem cells with high potential for self-renewal. The expression of the stem cell markers in human dental pulp stem cells indicate that they have a great potential for cell therapy and regenerative medi- cine, even they were isolated from adult teeth.