MDPC-23: A rat odontoblast-like cell line

There are few odontoblastic cell lines available for research. One of them is the spontaneously immortalized MDPC-23 cell line, generated at the University of Michigan in the late nineties. The MDPC-23 cells were originally described as derived from fetal mouse molar papillae. However, the species of these cells was put into question by unexpected results. Objective: To identify the species of MDPC-23 cells. Methods: DNA was extracted from MDPC-23 cells and specific-species PCR primers were used for amplification. PCR was used to evaluate DSPP and DMP-1 activity. Mouse NIH3T3 and rat A5 cells were used as controls. Results: Species-specific PCR demonstrated that the MDPC-23 is a rat cell line. Notably, the MDPC-23 cells express DSPP and DMP-1, two putative odontoblastic markers. Conclusions: MDPC-23 is a rat cell line that exhibit odontoblast-like features.