It is primarily important to define the standard features and factors that affect dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) for their broader use in tissue engineering. This study aimed to verify whether DPSCs isolated from various teeth extracted from the same donor exhibit intra-individual variability and what the consequences are for their differentiation potential. The heterogeneity determination was based on studying the proliferative capacity, viability, expression of phenotypic markers, and relative length of telomere chromosomes. The study included 14 teeth (6 molars and 8 premolars) from six different individuals ages 12 to 16. We did not observe any significant intra-individual variability in DPSC size, proliferation rate, viability, or relative telomere length change within lineages isolated from different teeth but the same donor. The minor non-significant variances in phenotype were probably mainly because DPSC cell lines comprised heterogeneous groups of undifferentiated cells independent of the donor. The other variances were seen in DPSC lineages isolated from the same donor, but the teeth were in different stages of root development. We also did not observe any changes in the ability of cells to differentiate into mature cell lines-chondrocytes, osteocytes, and adipocytes. This study is the first to analyze the heterogeneity of DPSC dependent on a donor.

• Keywords
• dental stem cells, intra-individual variability, mesenchymal stem cells, regenerative medicine, same donor isolation, stem cell characterization,
• MeSH
• Cell Differentiation physiology   MeSH
• Cell Line MeSH
• Cell Lineage physiology   MeSH
• Chondrocytes physiology   MeSH
• Tissue Donors MeSH
• Biological Variation, Individual MeSH
• Stem Cells physiology   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Osteocytes physiology   MeSH
• Cell Proliferation physiology   MeSH
• Adipocytes physiology   MeSH
• Dental Pulp physiology   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) are a type of easily accessible adult mesenchymal stem cell. Due to their ease of access, DPSCs show great promise in regenerative medicine. However, the tooth extractions from which DPSCs can be obtained are usually performed at a period of life when donors would have no therapeutic need of them. For this reason, it is imperative that successful stem cell storage techniques are employed so that these cells remain viable for future use. Any such techniques must result in high post-thaw stem cell recovery without compromising stemness, proliferation, or multipotency. Uncontrolled-rate freezing is not a technically or financially demanding technique compared to expensive and laborious controlled-rate freezing techniques. This study was aimed at observing the effect of uncontrolled-rate freezing on DPSCs stored for 6 and 12 months. Dimethyl sulfoxide at a concentration of 10% was used as a cryoprotective agent. Various features such as shape, proliferation capacity, phenotype, and multipotency were studied after DPSC thawing. The DPSCs did not compromise their stemness, viability, proliferation, or differentiating capabilities, even after one year of cryopreservation at -80 °C. After thawing, they retained their stemness markers and low-level expression of hematopoietic markers. We observed a size reduction in recovery DPSCs after one year of storage. This observation indicates that DPSCs can be successfully used in potential clinical applications, even after a year of uncontrolled cryopreservation.

• Keywords
• cryopreservation, dental stem cells, regenerative medicine, stem cell storage, uncontrolled-rate freezing,
• MeSH
• Cell Differentiation * MeSH
• Stem Cells cytology   drug effects   MeSH
• Cryopreservation methods   MeSH
• Cryoprotective Agents pharmacology   MeSH
• Cells, Cultured MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Cell Proliferation MeSH
• Dental Pulp cytology   drug effects   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Cryoprotective Agents MeSH