Figure 1.

Isolation procedure and morphology of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) and umbilical cord Wharton’s jelly-derived mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (UC-MSCs). (a) Isolation of DPSCs from pulp tissue. The upper part of the tooth was drilled and the dental pulp was extracted. The dental pulp was enzymatically digested by a mixture of collagenase I and dispase. The isolated cells and tissue sections were seeded onto cell culture plates in a complete cell culture medium. On day 10 post-seeding, non-adherent cells and tissue pieces were removed. (b) Isolation of UC-MSCs from Wharton’s jelly. The umbilical cord was washed with PBS to remove residual cord blood, and arteries and vein were further dissected. Wharton’s Jelly tissue was cut into 12 mm pieces and placed on the tissue culture dishes in a complete cell culture medium. On day five post-seeding, non-adherent cells and tissue pieces were removed. (c) Representative images of the morphology of DPSCs (left) and UC-MSCs (right). Scale bars: 50 µm.