Donor-matched comparison of dental pulp stem cells and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells in a rat model.

Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) have drawn much interest for the regeneration of mineralized tissues, and several studies have compared DPSCs to bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs). However, conflicting results, possibly due to donor-associated variability, have been published and the regenerative potential of DPSCs is currently unclear. In the present study we have sought to address this problem using a donor-matched experimental design to robustly compare the biological properties of DPSCs and BMMSCs.