Microarray Evaluation of Different Mesenchymal Stem Cells During Tissue Development

Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate the microarray protein expression during human tissue osteogenic differentiation.


Methods: Samples of human dental pulp and adipose subcoutanous tissue were obtained in patients undergoing orthodontic treatment from impacted third molars and tooth germs extraction at Foggia University. Microarray analysis was carried out using high density array containing 21.329 transcripts in replicates and data obtained were statistically analyzed using the S.A.M system (Significance Analysis of Microarray) and I.P.A. (Ingenuity Pathways analysis). ALP and RUNX 2 expression was investigated performing Microarray, Western Blot and RT-PCR analysis.
Results: RT-PCR and Western Blot analysis data showed ALP and RUNX 2 expression was higher in human subcutaneous adipose tissue than in dental pulp samples. Moreover, ALP and RUNX 2 were mapped to genetic networks available in the S.A.M system and IPA database and then ranked by score to show how their expression change during osteogenic differentiation.

Conclusions: In our research we observed the expression profile activity changes of ALP and RUNX2 gene family in different dental pulp and adipose tissue development. During osteogenic differentiation the RUNX 2 gene behavior seem to play an important role as key regulator of genes family and proteins involved in human bone tissues development.