Stem Cells from Human Exfoliated Deciduous Tooth Exhibit Stromal-Derived Inducing Activity and Lead to Generation of Neural Crest Cells from Human Embryonic Stem Cells

Objective: the neural crest is a transient structure of early vertebrate embryos that generatesneural crest cells (nccs). these cells can migrate throughout the body and producea diverse array of mature tissue types. due to the ethical and technical problems surroundingthe isolation of these early human embryo cells, researchers have focused on invitro studies to produce nccs and increase their knowledge of neural crest development.materials and methods: in this experimental study, we cultured human embryonic stemcells (hescs) on stromal stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (shed) for atwo-week period. we used different approaches to characterize these differentiated cellsas neural precursor cells (npcs) and nccs.results: in the first co-culture week, hescs appeared as crater-like structures with marginalrosettes. npcs derived from these structures expressed the early neural crest markerp75 in addition to numerous other genes associated with neural crest induction such assnail, slug, ptx3 and sox9. flow cytometry analysis showed 70% of the cells wereap2/p75 positive. moreover, the cells were able to self-renew, sustain multipotent differentiationpotential, and readily form neurospheres in suspension culture.conclusion: shed, as an adult stem cell with a neural crest origin, has stromal-derivedinducing activity (sdia) and can be used as an ncc inducer from hescs. these cellsprovide an invaluable resource to study neural crest differentiation in both normal anddisordered human neural crest development.