Effect of hrCEMP-1 on the proliferation and differentiation to mineralizing phenotype of Dental Pulp Stem Cells.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of different concentrations of CEMP-1 protein on the differentiation of dental pulp stem cells.

Methods: This project was approved by the ethics comité from El Bosque University (#003-2014). DPSCs were isolated and characterized by flow cytometry; subsequently, third passage cells were cultured in high glucose DMEM with 2% serum plus different concentrations of CEMP-1. Cell proliferation was evaluated by 4 days with resazurin. At the third and seventh day after the culture genes of osteoblast differentiation, matrix mineralization RUNX-2, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), osteopontin (OPN), bone sialoprotein (BSP) and osteocalcin (OCN) were analyzed.

Results: The DPSCs expressed surface antigens CD73, CD90 and CD105 in the absence of CD34, CD45 and CD 146 these were taken as identification criteria of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) established by the International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT).
On the fourth day of evaluation with resarzurin was observed decrease in cell proliferation. On the third day increased expression of OPN, OCN and ALP in lower concentrations of CEMP-1 and the seventh day was observed increase in the expression of RUNX-2 relative to the control.

Conclusions: We observed that CEMP-1 decreases DPSCs proliferation with respect to control and at the third day induces the expression of ALP, OCN and OPN.