Effects of dental pulp stem cells from deciduous teeth under hypoxia

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K17274
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 57070:Developmental dentistry-related
• Research Institution: Osaka Dental University
• Principal Investigator: Kawai Saki 大阪歯科大学, 歯学部, 助教 (70707067)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 乳歯 / 歯髄 / 再生

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In my past study, hypoxia didn't affect cell proliferations of deciduous teeth (SHEDs) and it increased the gene expression of Oct3/4, sox2 and c-Myc, and enhanced adipogenic differentiation under hypoxia. These results suggested that hypoxia enhances the differentiation ability of SHEDs.
In this study, I examined the osteoblast differentiation but the hypoxia did not have an influence with the meaning for it.
Recently, the non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma(NTAPP) was reported about the regenerative medicine. I created the hypothesis that NTAPP can increase differentiation ability, and examined cell proliferation of SHEDs and the gene expressions of undifferentiation markers. As a result, it was suggested that the NTAPP enhances cell proliferation and undifferentiated ability in SHEDs.

Free Research Field

小児歯科

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

幹細胞は象牙芽細胞や骨芽細胞、軟骨細胞などへの分化能を有しており、その供給源として乳歯歯髄由来細胞は身体的に苦痛を伴うことなく採取できることから応用が検討されているが、歯髄中に含まれる幹細胞は0.4～0.8％と非常に少なく、幹細胞を利用するにはその多分化能や増殖能の維持・増強が必要である。今回の研究により、低酸素培養と同様に、非熱的大気圧プラズマ照射を行った乳歯歯髄由来細胞の細胞増殖、未分化能を増強する事が示唆された。このことは、幹細胞を用いた再生医療に必要なより多くの細胞数を確保でき利用できる細胞が増えるなど、今後さらに検討を行うことでさらなる再生医療のための効率的な方法となる可能性がある。