Biology, Preclinical and Clinical Uses of Mesenchymal Dental Pulp Stem Cells

Abstract

Dental pulp is a feasible source of stem cells that could be differentiated into osteoblast providing a therapeutic approach, which contribute to bone regeneration. Furthermore, as dental pulp stem cells originate from the neural crest, they have significant potential in regenerating neural tissues. To isolate dental pulp stem cells, it is not necessary to undergo an additional surgical procedure, they can be obtained from teeth that need to be extracted for specific reasons or naturally shed in children. Dental pulp stem cells have an expansive and clonogenic potential by culturing them in a high-security laboratory. As dental pulp stem cells do not express the Major Histocompatibility Complex, these cells can be used trough a universal donor in several clinical procedures. In this chapter, we present evidence about the role and the applications of DPSCs to regenerate bone as well as in clinic cases to treat neurological affections.