Dentistry and Oral Health

Introduction: Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) are non-embryonic, mesenchymal stem cells that may have significant potential for therapeutic and regenerative biomedical applications. MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNA molecules that can act as transcriptional activators and repressors in many types of mesenchymal stem cells. To date, few studies have evaluated the expression or activity of microRNAs among dental pulp stem cells.

 

Methods: Using eight previously isolated and characterized DPSC lines, RNA was extracted and examined using PCR to determine expression of several key miRNAs, including miR-16, miR-27, miR-124, miR-135, miR-143 and miR 218.

 

Results: These data demonstrated that at least four of these microRNAs are active among some of these DPSC isolates, including miR-16, miR-27, miR-124 and miR-218.

 

Discussion: Although the transcriptional targets of these miRNAs are not yet known, it is evident that the differential expression of some of these miRNAs (miR-27, miR-124, miR-218) may correlate (or even contribute) to differentiation status of these isolates. More research will be needed to determine the precise function and targets of these microRNAs to determine their effects on DPSC differentiation, which may foster biotechnology applications for DPSC bioengineering applications.