Published online Oct 26, 2020. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.v12.i10.1214
Peer-review started: March 18, 2020
First decision: July 5, 2020
Revised: August 6, 2020
Accepted: September 1, 2020
Article in press: September 1, 2020
Published online: October 26, 2020
Processing time: 221 Days and 22.6 Hours
Five different types of dental stem cells (DSCs) which localize at specific areas of developing tooth anlage are dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs), stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHEDs), periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs), stem cells from apical papilla (APSCs), and dental follicle stem cells (DFSCs). Each population of these stem cells are unique in their own way and have the ability of self-renewal and multipotency. These stem cells are fundamental tenets of regenerative dentistry and can be source for cell therapies and tooth and periodontium engineering. Mechanics of stemness, regulation of cell renewal, proliferation potential and differentiation to specific cell lineages can be explored by the powerful bioinformatics tool known as proteomics.
A rapid stride in the field of proteomics provides us with tangible and exponential information for a global understanding of the biological features of stem cells. Critical events in the life cycle of different DSCs like, protein distribution, post-translational modifications, and the protein interactome patterns are deciphered by proteomics and provide the useful links to understand the behavioral pattern of stem cells which can be cloned and replicated in laboratories.
Several investigations have investigated the protein expression profiles in DPSCs, PDLSCs, DFSCs and APSCs to generate a database of proteins regularly or differentially expressed among various DSCs. The objectives of this systematic review were to quantify the existing literature on proteomic profiling of DSCs and put forth the comparative proteomic profiles of DSCs, they types of methodologies two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) and stable isotope labelling by amino acids in cell culture (known as SILAC)), influence or microenvironment or preconditioning factors on DSCs and expression of different phenotypic cell surface markers on various DSCs.
The review was accounted for as per the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses proclamation. The PICO framework was used to develop literature search strategy. Definite mechanized literature searches were performed in PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, and Web of Science from January 1990 up to and including December 2018. An extra inquiry of the grey literature was completed on Google Scholar, ProQuest, and OpenGrey. Reference arrangements of every single included article were physically perused to distinguish any potential applicable articles. MeSH terms (PubMed) and keywords were used independently and in combination: DSCs; dental MSCs; dental pulp stem cell; periodontal ligament stem cell; stem cells of human exfoliated deciduous teeth; dental follicle stem cell; apical papilla stem cell; DSCs proliferation; dental mesenchymal stem cell proliferation; proteomic analysis; proteomic profiling; secretome.
The initial search resulted in 134 articles. Out of 134 full-texts assessed, 96 articles were excluded. Thus, 38 articles that met the eligibility criteria were included. Among the articles reviewed in the present study, 24 studies were carried out on DPSCs, 11 studies on PDLSCs, 7 studies on DFSCs, 5 studies on APSCs and 4 studies on SHEDs either individually or in combination with other DSCs or MSCs.
In the field of regenerative medicine, DSCs, because of their multipotency, have been the subject of great interest for several researchers. Proteomic analysis of these unique cells has contributed to the identification of important pathways utilized by the various DSCs to differentiate into distinct tissues as well as important proteins responsible for their special function in vivo and in vitro. However, comparison of proteomic studies in DSCs still suffers from the heterogeneity of various DSCs. In addition, as proteomics technology advances, several studies can be revisited in order to increase the depth of analysis and, thereby, elucidate more refined mechanisms involved in DSCs functionalities.
Quantification and validation of all the differentially expressed proteins of DSCs can be analyzed by bioinformatics. The various facets of the proteome and its associated entities can be evaluated. Identification of specific cell surface markers of each type of DSC can build new vistas in the field of regenerative dentistry.