Study on Stem/Stromal Cells from Buccal Fat Pad and Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue for Periodontal and Oral Bone Regeneration In Vitro

Oral bone lost represents an important issue in maxillo-facial and dental surgery. In order to identify an easy tool in oral tissue engineering, we studied human adipose derived-stem/stromal cells from Bichat’s fat pad (BFP-ASCs), compared to subcutaneous adipose tissue (SC-ASCs), and their interactions with oral tissues, scaffolds and a bioactive oral molecule (amelogenin). All the ASCs showed a high clonogenicity and the typical mesenchymal stem cells immunophenotype; additionally, when properly induced, osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation markers, such as ALP activity, collagen deposition and lipid vacuoles formation, become evident. Both BFP- and SC-ASCs adhered finely to bone, periodontal ligament, collagen membrane and polyglycol acid filaments and they maintained their osteodifferentiation potential in the presence of amelogenin. In particular, this enamel matrix protein seems to be an early osteoinductive factor for BFP-ASCs, whereas this effect is not manifested for SC-ASCs. Moreover, to improve a future cellular therapy eliminating the concerns about contact with animal proteins, we tested cells growth in the presence of autologous and heterologous serum (HAS and HHS, respectively). Interestingly, both ASCs adapted rapidly to HAS or HHS increasing their proliferation rates compared to standard culture condition. We conclude that ASCs are suitable in oral tissue engineering, and that BFP-ASCs, more accessible for dentists, are prone to respond to stimuli naturally secreted in the oral cavity; for this reason, we suggest them for future therapies of periodontal defects and oral bone regeneration.