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TRANSLATIONAL AND CLINICAL RESEARCH

Periodontal Ligament Stem Cell-Mediated Treatment for Periodontitis in Miniature Swine

^aSalivary Gland Disease Center and the Molecular Laboratory for Gene Therapy, Capital Medical University School of Stomatology, Beijing, China;
^bColgate Australian Clinical Dental Research Centre, Dental School, University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia;
^cMesenchymal Stem Cell Group, Division of Haematology, Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science/Hanson Institute, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia;
^dCenter for Craniofacial Molecular Biology, University of Southern California School of Dentistry, Los Angeles, California, USA

Key Words. Periodontal ligament stem cells • Periodontal disease • Tissue engineering • Regeneration

Correspondence: Songlin Wang, D.D.S., Ph.D., Salivary Gland Disease Center and the Molecular Laboratory for Gene Therapy, Capital Medical University School of Stomatology, Tian Tan Xi Li No. 4, Beijing 100050, China. Telephone: 86-10-67062012; Fax: 86-10-83911708; e-mail: songlinwang{at}dentist.org.cn; or Songtao Shi, D.D.S., Ph.D., Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology, University of Southern California School of Dentistry, 2250 Alcazar Street, CSA 103, Los Angeles, California 90033, USA. Telephone: 323-442-3038; Fax: 323-442-2981; e-mail: songtaos{at}usc.edu

Received September 5, 2007; accepted for publication January 20, 2008.
First published online in STEM CELLS EXPRESS   January 31, 2008.



Periodontitis is a periodontal tissue infectious disease and the most common cause for tooth loss in adults. It has been linked to many systemic disorders, such as coronary artery disease, stroke, and diabetes. At present, there is no ideal therapeutic approach to cure periodontitis and achieve optimal periodontal tissue regeneration. In this study, we explored the potential of using autologous periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) to treat periodontal defects in a porcine model of periodontitis. The periodontal lesion was generated in the first molars area of miniature pigs by the surgical removal of bone and subsequent silk ligament suture around the cervical portion of the tooth. Autologous PDLSCs were obtained from extracted teeth of the miniature pigs and then expanded ex vivo to enrich PDLSC numbers. When transplanted into the surgically created periodontal defect areas, PDLSCs were capable of regenerating periodontal tissues, leading to a favorable treatment for periodontitis. This study demonstrates the feasibility of using stem cell-mediated tissue engineering to treat periodontal diseases.

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.