Aim: Dental pulp stem cells, which are primarily derived from the pulp tissues of human teeth, have rarely been obtained from natal teeth. This study investigated the stem cell and differentiation markers of the dental pulp of natal teeth using immunohistochemistry.
Materials & methods: The pulp tissue from extracted natal teeth (n = 2) of a 20-day-old healthy male was examined for immunohistochemical expression of stem cell (Oct-4 and SOX 2) and differentiation markers (Nestin, CD 44, desmin, osteopontin and Ki- 67).
Results: The pulp tissue of the natal teeth expressed immunopositivity for nestin, CD 44 and SOX2.
Conclusion: Natal teeth, if preserved properly, could serve as sources of dental pulp stem cells that are an improvement on deciduous teeth.
Keywords: CD44; Oct-4; SOX2; dental pulp stem cell (DPSC); desmin; immunohistochemical expression; natal teeth; nestin; osteopontin and myogenin.