Abstract
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Retinopathy affects millions worldwide with increasing prevalence. Dental-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), primarily originating from the neural crest, possess unique neural-like properties, including high expression of neural markers, making them promising candidates for neural and retinal regenerative medicine. The present study compared two isolation methods for dental-derived MSCs and investigated the potential of dental follicle stem cells (DFSCs) to differentiate into neurons and retinal progenitor cells under defined conditions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The cells of extracted dental tissues were isolated by enzymatic digestion and explant culture methods. The multi-lineage differentiation capabilities of DFSCs were confirmed by Alizarin Red staining and Oil Red-O staining after defined culture stimulation. The differentiation of neurons and retinal progenitors was induced in DFSCs and confirmed through cell morphology, immunofluorescence staining, and western blotting. RESULTS: The enzymatic digestion method was faster and promoted quicker proliferation of DFSCs compared to other dental sources. The expression of Alizarin Red staining and Oil Red-O staining confirmed the multi-lineage differentiation capabilities of DFSCs. Under specific conditions, DFSCs demonstrated the potential to differentiate into neural, retinal progenitor, ganglion, bipolar, amacrine, and Müller-like cells with morphologic changes and expression of related proteins. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrates the superior proliferation ability of DFSCs among dental cells, and possesses the potential to differentiate into retinal progenitor cells and neurons under defined conditions. Provide valuable insights into DFSCs as an effective stem cell source and their potential for future therapeutic applications in retinal-related diseases.