Therapeutic potential of human immature dental pulp stem cells observed in mouse model for acquired aplastic anemia

Abstract

Aplastic anemia (AA) is a rare and serious disorder of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) that results in the loss of blood cells due to the failure of the bone marrow (BM). Although BM transplantation is used to treat AA, its use is limited by donor availability. In this sense, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can offer a novel therapeutic approach for AA. This is because the MSCs contribute to the hematopoietic niche organization through their repopulating. In our study, we used the human immature dental pulp stem cell (hIDPSC), an MSC-like cell, to explore an alternative therapeutic approach for AA. For this, isogenic C57BL/6 mice were exposed to total body irradiation (TBI) to induce the AA. After 48 h of TBI, the mice were intraperitoneally treated with hIDPSC. The immunohistochemistry analyses confirmed that the hIDPSCs migrated and grafted in the mouse bone marrow (BM) and spleen, providing rapid support to hematopoiesis recovery compared to the group exposed to radiation, but not to those treated with the cells as well as the hematological parameters. Six months after the last hIDPSC transplantation, the BM showed long-term stable hematopoiesis. Our data highlight the therapeutic plasticity and hematoprotective role of hIDPSC for AA and potentially for other hematopoietic failures.