This protocol describes the transient genetic engineering of dental stem cells extracted from the human dental follicle. The applied non-viral modification strategy may become a basis for the improvement of therapeutic stem cell products.
To date, several stem cell types at different developmental stages are in the focus for the treatment of degenerative diseases. Yet, certain aspects, such as initial massive cell death and low therapeutic effects, impaired their broad clinical translation. Genetic engineering of stem cells prior to transplantation emerged as a promising method to optimize therapeutic stem cell effects. However, safe and efficient gene delivery systems are still lacking. Therefore, the development of suitable methods may provide an approach to resolve current challenges in stem cell-based therapies.
The present protocol describes the extraction and characterization of human dental follicle stem cells (hDFSCs) as well as their non-viral genetic modification. The postnatal dental follicle unveiled as a promising and easily accessible source for harvesting adult multipotent stem cells possessing high proliferation potential. The described isolation procedure presents a simple and reliable method to harvest hDFSCs from impacted wisdom teeth. Also this protocol comprises methods to define stem cell characteristics of isolated cells. For genetic engineering of hDFSCs, an optimized cationic lipid-based transfection strategy is presented enabling highly efficient microRNA introduction without causing cytotoxic effects. MicroRNAs are suitable candidates for transient cell manipulation, as these small translational regulators control the fate and behavior of stem cells without the hazard of stable genome integration. Thus, this protocol represents a safe and efficient procedure for engineering of hDFSCs that may become important for optimizing their therapeutic efficacy.
The human dental follicle is a loose ectomesenchymally-derived connective tissue surrounding the developing tooth1,2. Beside its function to coordinate osteoclastogenesis and osteogenesis for the tooth eruption process, this tissue harbors stem and progenitor cells especially for the development of the periodontium3,4,5. Therefore, the dental follicle is considered as an alternative source to harvest human adult stem cells6,7.
Several studies demonstrated that human dental follicle stem cells (hDFSCs) are capable of differentiating into the periodontal lineage including osteoblasts, ligament fibroblasts and cementoblasts8,9,10. Furthermore, these cells were shown to match all characteristics of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) including self-renewing capacity, plastic adherence, expression of specific surface markers (e.g., CD73, CD90, CD105) as well as osteogenic, adipogenic and chondrogenic differentiation potential11,12,13. Other studies also revealed a neural differentiation potential of hDFSCs2,14,15,16,17,18.
Due to their promising properties and easy access, hDFSCs became recently relevant for tissue engineering19,20,21. The first studies concentrated on the potential of DFSCs to regenerate bone, periodontal and tooth roots19,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30. Since the knowledge of the neurogenic capability of hDFSCs, their application as potential treatment for neurodegenerative diseases has been investigated31,32,33. HDFSCs have also gained importance with respect to the the regeneration of other tissues (e.g., corneal epithelium)34,35. The therapeutic potential of hDFSC is not only based on their direct differentiation potential but also on their paracrine activity. Recently, hDFSCs have been shown to secrete a wealth of bioactive factors, such as matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), insulin-like growth factor (IGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), which play a crucial role for angiogenesis, immunomodulation, extra cellular matrix remodeling and reparative processes36.
However, broad clinical translation of stem cell therapy is still impaired by several challenges, such as massive initial cell death and low beneficial stem cell effects37,38. Genetic engineering provides a promising strategy to address these challenges and therefore can greatly enhance the therapeutic efficacy of stem cells38,39,40. For transient cell manipulation, microRNAs (miRs) are suitable candidates, as these small translational regulators control the fate and behavior of stem cells without the hazard of stable genome integration41,42,43. To date, several beneficial miRs have been identified promoting stem cell proliferation, survival, homing, paracrine activity as well as their differentiation into several lineages44. For instance, miR-133a engineered MSCs showed an increased survival and engraftment in infarcted rat hearts resulting in an improved cardiac function when compared to unmodified MSCs45. Likewise, miR-146a overexpressing MSCs were shown to secrete higher amounts of VEGF which in turn led to an enhanced therapeutic efficiency in ischemic tissue46.
This manuscript presents a detailed protocol for the selective extraction and genetic engineering of hDFSCs. For this purpose, we described the harvesting and enzymatic digestion of human dental follicles as well as the subsequent isolation of hDFSCs. In order to characterize isolated cells, important instructions for the verification of MSC properties have been included in accordance with the guidelines of the International Society for Cellular Therapy13. In addition, we provide a detailed description for the generation of miR-modified hDFSCs by applying a cationic lipid-based transfection strategy and the evaluation of transfection efficiency and cytotoxicity.
HDFSCs are isolated from the dental follicles of extracted wisdom teeth provided by the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Plastic Surgery of the Rostock University Medical Center. Informed consent and written approval was obtained from all patients. This study was authorized by the local ethics committee of the University of Rostock (Permission No. A 2017-0158).
1. Isolation of hDFSCs
NOTE: To prevent bacterial contamination, wisdom teeth should not be erupted before extraction
2. Characterization of hDFSCs
3. Transfection of hDFSCs
4. Analysis of Transfection
NOTE: Perform the following work in a rather shaded room.
Here, we present a detailed isolation instruction to harvest hDFSCs from human dental follicle tissue. Due to the easy access of the dental follicle during routine surgery, it is a promising source for the extraction of adult stem cells.
The isolated hDFSCs showed all characteristics described for the definition of MSCs13. In fact, cells were plastic-adherent under described culture conditions and displayed a fibroblast-like morphology (Figure 1). Flow cytometric analyses revealed that hDFSCs expressed a panel of certain surface antigens, including CD29, CD44, CD73, CD90 and CD105, while CD45 and CD117 were absent (Figure 2). Moreover, the adipogenic, osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation potential of cells under specific in vitro culture conditions was confirmed by immunostaining of fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4), osteocalcin and aggrecan (Figure 3).
The described cationic lipid-based transfection strategy enabled efficient transient genetic modification of hDFSCs with a miR-uptake in ~100% of viable cells 24 h post-transfection (Figure 4B). Moreover, transfected (Figure 4A) and untransfected (Figure 4C) samples showed comparable amounts of dead cells proving gentle cell processing conditions.
Figure 1: Representative light microscope picture of hDFSCs. Cells show a fibroblast-like morphology under standard culture conditions.
Figure 2: Representative flow cytometric immunophenotyping of hDFSCs. Flow cytometric analysis of cells after staining for specific cell surface markers (blue). Corresponding isotype controls were used as negative controls (grey). Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.
Figure 3: Representative verification of the adipogenic, osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation potential of hDFSCs. After differentiation, adipocytes, osteocytes and chondrocytes were identified by immunostaining of (A) fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4) (green), (B) osteocalcin (green) and (C) aggrecan (green). Nuclei were stained with DAPI (blue). Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.
Figure 4: Representative gating strategy for analysis of transfection. Schematic representation of gating strategy used for the quantification of (A) cytotoxicity (blue: dead cells) and (B) Cy3-labeled miR uptake efficiency (red: Cy3+ cells) 24 h post-transfection. Untransfected cells (C,D) were used as control.
MACS | FcR | Antibodies [µL] | Isotype controls [µL] | |||||||||||||
Sample | buffer | blocking | CD29 | CD44 | CD45 | CD73 | CD90 | CD105 | CD117 | APC | PerCP-Cy5.5 | V500 | PE | PerCP-Cy5.5 | AF488 | PE-Cy7 |
[µl] | reagent [µl] | APC | PerCP-Cy5.5 | V500 | PE | PerCP-Cy5.5 | AF488 | PE-Cy7 | IgG1 | IgG2b | IgG1 | IgG1 | IgG1 | IgG1 | IgG1 | |
1 | 30 | 10 | 10 | |||||||||||||
2 | 37.5 | 10 | 2.5 | |||||||||||||
3 | 37.5 | 10 | 2.5 | |||||||||||||
4 | 30 | 10 | 10 | |||||||||||||
5 | 35 | 10 | 5 | |||||||||||||
6 | 35 | 10 | 5 | |||||||||||||
7 | 37.5 | 10 | 2.5 | |||||||||||||
8 | 30 | 10 | 10 | |||||||||||||
9 | 30 | 10 | 10 | |||||||||||||
10 | 37.5 | 10 | 2.5 | |||||||||||||
11 | 30 | 10 | 10 | |||||||||||||
12 | 40 | 10 | 10 | |||||||||||||
13 | 30 | 10 | 5 | |||||||||||||
14 | 37.5 | 10 | 2.5 |
Table 1: Pipetting layout for immunophenotyping of hDFSCs.
Adult stem cells are currently in focus for the treatment of several degenerative diseases. In particular, bone marrow (BM)-derived stem cells, including hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and MSCs, are under intensive clinical investigation47. However, BM harvesting is an invasive procedure causing pain at the site of donation and may lead to adverse events48. Recently, the postnatal dental tissue has emerged as a novel and easily accessible source for stem cells. These dental stem cells were shown to meet all MSC characteristics and showed higher proliferation capacity as BM-derived stem cells49. Here, we presented a detailed protocol for the extraction, characterization and engineering of hDFSCs.
The described isolation procedure has been developed on human dental follicles of impacted wisdom teeth, as this tissue is commonly extracted and disposed of as medical waste19. Nevertheless, other dental tissues, including dental pulp50,51, periodontal ligament52, exfoliated deciduous teeth53, and root apical papilla54, can be utilized for the extraction of dental stem cells.
Genetic engineering of stem cells by inserting miRs is a novel strategy to overcome certain difficulties in stem cell-based therapies, such as low stem cell survival43,55,56,57. This protocol presented crucial instructions for the efficient introduction of synthetic miR into hDFSCs using a commercially available cationic lipid-based transfection reagent. The application of cationic liposomal formulations for the delivery of therapeutic reagents, such as drugs and nucleic acids, has been investigated in numerous clinical trials58,59. However, cationic liposomes are potentially cytotoxic in a dose-dependent manner by causing e.g., damage to the integrity of the cell membrane or alterations in gene expression59,60,61. Therefore, particular attention must be paid to toxic effects on cells induced by transfection.
Notably, indicated transfection conditions have been optimized for miR-mediated genetic modification of hDFSCs in respect of efficiency and cytotoxicity. Nevertheless, other studies demonstrated the successful application of this transfection reagent for the delivery of additional nucleic acids, including plasmid DNA, mRNA and siRNA, into different cell types62,63,64,65,66,67,68. Results of these studies revealed that ideal delivery conditions varied significantly and have to be defined for each cell type.
The authors have nothing to disclose.
This work was supported by the FORUN Program of the Rostock University Medical Centre (889018) and the DAMP Foundation (2016-11). In addition, P.M. and R.D. are supported by the BMBF (VIP+ 00240).
Mouse anti Human CD105 Antibody: Alexa Fluor 488 | Bio-Rad | MCA1557A488 | Clone SN6, monoclonal |
Mouse IgG1 Negative Control Antibody: Alexa Fluor 488 | Bio-Rad | MCA928A488 | monoclonal |
APC Mouse Anti-Human CD29 Antibody | BD Biosciences | 559883 | Clone MAR4, monoclonal |
APC Mouse IgG1, κ Isotype Control Antibody | BD Biosciences | 555751 | Clone MOPC-21, monoclonal |
PE Mouse Anti-Human CD73 Antibody | BD Biosciences | 550257 | Clone AD2, monoclonal |
PE Mouse IgG1, κ Isotype Control Antibody | BD Biosciences | 555749 | Clone MOPC-21, monoclonal |
PE-Cy7 Mouse Anti-Human CD117 Antibody | BD Biosciences | 339217 | Clone 104D2, monoclonal |
PE-Cy7 Mouse IgG1, κ Isotype Control Antibody | BD Biosciences | 557872 | Clone MOPC-21, monoclonal |
PerCP-Cy5.5 Mouse Anti-Human CD44 Antibody | BD Biosciences | 560531 | Clone G44-26, monoclonal |
PerCP-Cy5.5 Mouse IgG2b, κ Isotype Control Antibody | BD Biosciences | 558304 | Clone 27-35, monoclonal |
PerCP-Cy5.5 Mouse Anti-Human CD90 Antibody | BD Biosciences | 561557 | Clone 5E10, monoclonal |
PerCP-Cy5.5 Mouse IgG1, κ Isotype Control Antibody | BD Biosciences | 55095 | Clone MOPC-21, monoclonal |
V500 Mouse Anti-Human CD45 Antibody | BD Biosciences | 560777 | Clone HI30, monoclonal |
V500 Mouse IgG1, κ Isotype Control Antibody | BD Biosciences | 560787 | Clone X40, monoclonal |
FcR Blocking Reagent, human | Miltenyi Biotec | 130-059-901 | |
UltraPure EDTA | Thermo Fisher Scientific | 15575-020 | 0.5M, pH 8.0 |
Steritop | Merck Millipore | SCGPT05RE | 0.22 µm, radio-sterilized, polyethersulfone |
BSA | Sigma-Aldrich | A7906 | |
PFA | Merck Millipore | 1040051000 | |
Human Mesenchymal Stem Cell Functional Identification Kit | R&D Systems | SC006 | |
RNase decontamination solution; RNaseZap RNase Decontamination Solution | Thermo Fisher Scientific | AM9780 | |
Cy3-labelled precursor miR; Cy3 Dye-Labeled Pre-miR Negative Control #1 | Thermo Fisher Scientific | AM17120 | 5 nmol |
Pre-miR miRNA Precursor Negative Control #1 | Thermo Fisher Scientific | AM17110 | 5nmol |
Cationic lipid-based transfection reagent; Lipofectamine 2000 Transfection Reagent | Thermo Fisher Scientific | 11668019 | |
Reduced serum medium; Opti-MEM I Reduced Serum Medium | Thermo Fisher Scientific | 31985070 | |
Donkey anti-Goat IgG (H+L) Cross-Adsorbed Secondary Antibody, Alexa Fluor 488 | Thermo Fisher Scientific | A-11055 | polyclonal |
Donkey anti-Mouse IgG (H+L) Highly Cross-Adsorbed Secondary Antibody, Alexa Fluor 488 | Thermo Fisher Scientific | A-21202 | polyclonal |
Mounting medium; Fluoroshield with DAPI | Sigma-Aldrich | F6057-20ML | histology mounting medium |
ELYRA PS.1 LSM 780 confocal microscope | Zeiss | ||
BD FACS LSRII flow cytometer | BD Biosciences | ||
BD FACSDiva Software 6.1.2 | BD Biosciences | ||
ZEN2011 software | Zeiss | ||
Trypsin/EDTA solution (0.05%/ 0.02%) | Biochrom | L2143 | in PBS, w/o: Ca2+, Mg2+ |
Amine reactive dye; LIVE/DEAD™ Fixable Near-IR Dead Cell Stain Kit | Thermo Fisher Scientific | L10119 | |
PBS (1x) | Thermo Fisher Scientific | 10010023 | pH: 7.4; w/o: Ca and Mg |
P-S-G (100x) | Thermo Fisher Scientific | 10378016 | |
Basal medium; Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium/Nutrient Mixture F-12 | Thermo Fisher Scientific | 11039021 | |
Antibiotic, ZellShield | Biochrom | W 13-0050 | |
FBS | Thermo Fisher Scientific | 10500064 | |
Collagenase type I | Thermo Fisher Scientific | 17100017 | |
Dispase II | Thermo Fisher Scientific | 17105041 | |
Filter, Sterifix syringe filter 0.2 µm | Braun | 4099206 | |
50 mL conical centrifuge tube | Sarstedt | 62,547,254 | |
15 mL conical centrifuge tube | Sarstedt | 62,554,502 | |
Cell culture flask 75 cm2 | Sarstedt | 833,910,002 | |
Cell culture flask, 25 cm2 | Sarstedt | 833,911,002 | |
Freezing medium, Biofreeze | Biochrom | F 2270 | |
Cryotubes | Thermo Fisher Scientific | 377267 | 1.8 mL |
Trypan blue solution | Sigma-Aldrich | T8154 | 0.4 % |
Counting chamber | Paul Marienfeld | ||
Local anesthetic, Xylocitin (lidocaine hydrochloride) 2% with epinephrine (adrenaline) 0.001% | Mibe | ||
NaCl solution | Braun | 0.9 % | |
Vicryl satures, Vicryl rapide | Ethicon | 3 – 0 |