Success of Maxillary Alveolar Defect Repair in Rats Using Osteoblast-Differentiated Human Deciduous Dental Pulp Stem Cells

Purpose The use of cell-based therapies represents one of the most advanced methods for enhancing the regenerative response in craniofacial abnormalities. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the regenerative potential of human dental pulp stem cells, isolated from deciduous teeth, for reconstructing maxillary alveolar defects in Wistar rats. Materials and Methods Human deciduous dental pulp stem cells were isolated and stimulated to differentiate into osteoblasts in culture media. Maxillary alveolar defects were created in 60 Wistar rats by a surgical procedure. Then, on the basis of the type of graft used to repair the bone defect, the rats were divided into 6 equal groups: groups 1 and 2, transplantation of iliac bone graft; groups 3 and 4, transplantation of stem cells derived from deciduous dental pulp in addition to collagen matrix; groups 5 and 6, transplantation of just collagen matrix. Then, fetal bone formation, granulation tissue, fibrous tissue, and inflammatory tissue were evaluated by hematoxylin-eosin staining at 1 month (groups 1, 3, and 5) and 2 months (groups 2, 4, and 6) after surgery, and data were analyzed and compared using the Fisher exact test. Results Maximum fetal bone formation occurred in group 2, in which iliac bone graft was inserted into the defect area for 2 months; there also were significant differences among the groups for bone formation ( P = .009). In the 1-month groups, there were no significant differences between the control and stem cell–plus–scaffold groups. There were significant differences between the 2-month groups for fetal bone formation only between the control and scaffold groups ( P = .026). Conclusions The study showed that human dental pulp stem cells are an additional cell resource for repairing maxillary alveolar defects in rats and constitute a promising model for reconstruction of human maxillary alveolar defects in patients with cleft lip and palate.