Articolo in rivista, 2020, ENG, 10.3389/fcell.2020.00100

Effect of a Bone Marrow-Derived Extracellular Matrix on Cell Adhesion and Neural Induction of Dental Pulp Stem Cells

Samuele Laudani; Valentina La Cognata; Rosario Iemmolo; Gabriele Bonaventura; Giusy Villaggio; Salvatore Saccone; Maria Luisa Barcellona; Sebastiano Cavallaro; Fulvia Sinatra;

Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche; Università degli Studi di Catania

Extracellular matrix (ECM) represents an essential component of the cellular niche. In this conditioned microenvironment, the proliferation rates and differentiation states of stem cells are regulated by several factors. In contrast, in in vitro experimental models, cell growth, or induction procedures toward specific cell lines usually occur in contact with plastic, glass, or biogel supports. In this study, we evaluated the effect of a decellularized ECM, derived from bone marrow stem cells, on the neuronal differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) extracted from dental pulp (Dental Pulp Stem Cells - DPSCs). Since DPSCs derive from neuroectodermal embryonic precursors, they are thought to have a greater propensity toward neuronal differentiation than MSCs isolated from other sources. We hypothesized that the presence of a decellularized ECM scaffold could act positively on neuronal-DPSC differentiation through reproduction of an in vivo-like microenvironment. Results from scanning electron microscopy, immunofluorescence, and gene expression assays showed that ECM is able to positively influence the morphology of cells and their distribution and the expression of specific neuronal markers (i.e., NF-L, NF-M, NF-H, PAX6, MAP2).

Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology 8

Keywords

cell differentiation, dental pulp cells, ECM, neuronal markers, neuronal-like stem cells

CNR authors

Iemmolo Rosario, Bonaventura Gabriele, Cavallaro Sebastiano, La Cognata Valentina

CNR institutes

IRIB – Istituto per la Ricerca e l'Innovazione Biomedica