[Application of Extracellular Vesicles Derived from Vascular Endothelial/Endothelial Progenitor Cells in Tissue Regeneration and Repair].

Extracellular vesicles can be released by almost all types of cells and are important mediators of intercellular signal transmssion. Extracellular vesicles regulate the function and activity of recipient cells by delivering biologically active molecules such as proteins and nucleic acids, which is of great significance in tissue repair and regeneration. According to numerous studies, extracellular vesicles derived from endothelial/endothelial progenitor cells can induce cell proliferation and differentiation, inhibit cell apoptosis, and promote angiogenesis, playing an increasingly important role in regenerative medicine. We reported in this review the latest findings on applying extracellular vesicles derived from endothelial/endothelial progenitor cells in tissue regeneration and repair, and discussed the challenges and future development directions of their application in the field of regenerative medicine.

[A Novel Chemically Defined Medium Enhanced the Osteogenic Potential and Periodontal Bone Regeneration of Dental Papilla Cells].

OBEJECTIVE: To investigate the role of a novel chemically defined medium (CDM) in the regulation of dental papilla cells (DPCs) functional phenotype in vitro and periodontal bone regeneration in vivo. METHODS: DPCs were isolated and cultured in conventional medium (CM) or CDM. The surface makers, and the proliferation, migration and osteogenic differentiation abilities of DPCs were evaluated. In vivo, the DPCs that mixed with collagen gel were implanted into the model rats in the defect of periodontal to repair the periodontal tissue. Regeneration of the tissues was examined by microcomputed tomography and histological observation. RESULTS: DPCs in the CM group and CDM group showed similar surface markers. Compared to the CM group, the CDM significantly enhanced the proliferation, colony-forming efficiency and migration of DPCs in vitro. In addition, real time PCR showed that the expression levels of osteogenesis-related genes, Runx2, Alp and Opn. were significantly enhanced in DPCs in the CDM group. DPCs cells treated with CDM also exhibited higher alkaline phosphatase activity and stronger ability of formation of mineralized nodules in vitro. In vivo, DPCs from CDM group significantly enhanced the periodontal bone regeneration and the reconstruction of periodontal bone tissues in rat periodontal defect model. CONCLUSION: CDM is a suitable medium to culture DPCs for periodontal bone regeneration. This research provided a substitute for basic research and set the stage for future clinical application of stem cell transplantation.

Application of computer-assisted surgery techniques in the management of zygomatic complex fractures.

Patients suffering from zygomatic complex fractures always present facial deformity and dysfunctions, and thereafter develop psychological and physiological problems. It is really hard to get an ideal prognosis for the zygomatic complex fractures because of the complicated anatomical structures. Computer-assisted surgery techniques, as the new emerging auxiliary methods, can optimize the surgical protocol, predict operation outcomes, and improve the accuracy and quality of the operation. Meanwhile the postoperative complications can be reduced effectively. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the application of computer-assisted surgery techniques in the management of zygomatic complex fractures.

[Extraction of Adipogenic Secretory Factors: a Comparison Between Adherent Culture and Suspension Culture].

OBJECTIVE: To optimize the extraction method of secretory factors from adipose tissue explant (SFAE) in vitro. METHODS: SFAE were obtained through adherent culture (SFAE-A) and suspension culture (SFAE-S) and concentrated by filtration and centrifugation. The yield of SFAE was compared using BCA protein detection kit. P3 adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) were induced with equal amount of SFAE for 7-13 d, before the state of adipogenesis between suspension culture and adherent culture was compared by microscope observation and oil red O staining. RESULTS: The average amount of SFAE yielded from adherent culture and suspension culture did not show significant difference. While the yield of SFAE from suspension culture was consistent at 8. 7 mg per gram of adipose tissue, the adherent culture generated an inconsistent result in the four repeat experiments, ranging from 7. 3 mg to 12. 4 mg per gram of adipose tissue. Moreover, ten more flasks and better distribution were needed for adherent culture to acquire an equal amount of SFAE in comparison with suspension culture. SFAE from both adherent and suspension culture promoted the adipogenesis of P3 adipose-derived stem cells. No differences on the adipogenic effect were found between the two extraction methods. CONCLUSION: Secretory factors from adherent culture and suspension culture have the same adipogenesis effect. Suspension culture can save time and labor. The most important advantage of suspension culture is its stable yield of SFAE.

[Influence of exogenous nitric oxide on chondrogenic differentiation of adipose derived stem cells].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of exogenous nitric oxide (NO) donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP) on the proliferation and expression of related-gene of adipose-derived stem cells(ADSCs) and its role in chondrogenic differentiation of ADSCs. METHOD: Rat ADSCs were harvested and cultured, and then induced to osteogenic and adipogenic differentiations, detected with Alizarin red stained and Oil red O stain, respectively. The change of NO during chondrogenic differentiation of ADSCs was tested by NO detection kit. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK8) was used to detect the proliferation of ADSCs under different concentrations of SNP (0.25 mmol/L, 1.00 mmol/L, 4.00 mmol/L). Gene expression level of transformation growth factor (TGF-beta1) and specific gene of chondrogenic differentiation-signaling protein Smad3 and Collage II alPHA (Col-II alpha1), were detected by Real time- PCR (RT-PCR) method. RESULTS: Positive alizarin red staining and Oil red O staining were found after osteogenic and adipogenic induction of cultured ADSCs. Higher concentrations of NO were found in the supernatant of the experimental group with ADSCs chondrogenic differentiations compared with the controls (P<0.05). Low concentrations (0. 25 mmol/L, 1.00 mmol/L) of SNP showed no significant effects on cell proliferations (P>0.05), whereas high concentration (4. 00 mmol/L) of SNP inhibited cell proliferation (P<0.05). RT-PCR revealed that SNP inhibited the gene expression of TGF-beta1 mRNA and chondrogenic differentiation of specific gene Smad3 mRNA, Col-II alpha1 mRNA. CONCLUSION: SNP can inhibit chondrogenic differentiations by suppressing the production of TGF-beta1 and inhibiting downstream of TGF-beta1 signaling pathways, thereby inhibiting ADSCs differentiation into chondrocytes.

[Improving Threshold Segmentation in 3D Reconstruction of Mandible CT Image].

OBJECTIVE: To develop a new threshold segmentation method for mandible image segmentation. METHODS: CT data of 12 volunteers were exported into Mimics 10. 01. An improved method usinga narrowed threshold range (the maximum threshold range that can segment mandible without manual efforts) was developed in 3D reconstruction, and compared with the traditional method. We used dilation operations to make up the information loss of image borders, by which we obtained an approxinate segment result. A precise segment resultwas eventually arrived with the help of logical operations and region growing. We compared mean time consumptions of the two methods, as well as their 3D reconstruction results using Geomagic Studio 11. 0. RESULTS: The new method generated a success rate of 91. 67% (11/12), with a mean time consumption of (319. 7±125. 3) s. The traditional method took much longer time [(1,261. 3±427. 3) s, P<0. 05] than the new method. Compared with the reconstruction results of traditional method, the new method had an outward deviation of (0. 066±0. 011) mm and an inward deviation of (0. 070±0. 008) mm. Such deviations were less than the minimum distance that a naked eye can discern. The lower limit of the widest threshold range which mandible could be isolated was (507. 72± 100. 31) HU, while the upper limit was (1,133. 33±47. 57) HU. CONCLUSION: The new method we proposed can improve the efficiency of threshold segmentation of mandible.

[Construction of beta-catenin miRNA-expressing vectors and test of silencing effect in adipose-derived stem cells from Sprague-Dawley rats].

UNLABELLED: OBEJECTIVE: To construct miRNA-expressing plasmid vector for interfering the expression of beta-catenin in adipose-derived stem cells from Sprague-Dawley rats. METHODS: The double strands oligonucleotides of miR-expressing cassette were ligated into plasmid pSWH to generate pSWH-miR. Then the PCR product of enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP) open reading frame (ORF) fragment was inserted into BamH I and Xbo I digested pSWH-miR to generate pSWH-EGFP-miR. The adipose-derived stemcells from rats (rADSCs) were transfected with pSWH-EGFP-miR respectively. The expression of beta-catenin was determined by Western blot at 72 h post-transfection. RESULTS: Five miRNA-expressing plasmid vectors were constructed (miR-780, miR-796, miR-1467, miR-1948, miR-1960). miR-780 and miR-796 had the best silencing effect on the expression of beta-catenin (P < 0.05), less did the miR-1960 (P < 0.05), but not the miR-1467 and the miR-1948 (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: miR-780 and miR-796 could interference the beta-catenin in ADSCs with high efficiency.

Biomimetic crystallization for long-pursued -COOH-functionalized gold nanocluster with near-infrared phosphorescence.

As an interdisciplinary product, water-soluble gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) stabilized by ligands containing carboxyl (-COOH) group have garnered significant attention from synthetic chemists and biologists due to their immense potential for biomedical applications. However, revealing the crystallographic structures of -COOH-functionalized AuNCs remains a bottleneck. Herein, we successfully applied the salting-out method to obtain a series of high-quality single crystals of -COOH-functionalized Au25 nanoclusters and revealed their crystallographic structures. Particularly, K3Au25(2-Hmna)9(mna)6]- (Au25a) protected by 2-mercaptonicotinic acid features an unprecedented tetrameric Au4(SRS)3(SRS,N)2 staple motifs surrounding the icosahedral Au13 kernel, breaking the traditional perception on the structure of Au25(SR)18. Au25a exhibits a distinct near-infrared emission at 970 nm with long lifetime of 8690 ns, which have been studied by transient absorption spectroscopy and time-dependent density functional theory. This work compensates for the research gap in the experimental structure of -COOH-functionalized AuNCs and opens up a new avenue to explore their structure-property correlations.

[Influence of fetal bovine serum protein concentration in adipose tissue extract on adipogenic differentiation of adipose derived stem cells].

OBJECTIVE: To observe whether fetal bovine serum (FBS) will affect the adipogenic ability of adipose derived stem cells (ADSCs) induced by adipose tissue extract (ATE), and to explore the effects of different FBS protein concentrations in ATE on adipogenic ability, cell proliferation and migration of ADSCs. METHODS: Rat ADSCs were cultured, passaged, and then subjected to osteogenic and neural induction. The adipose explants were cultured in culture medium with or without FBS, then ATE was collected to induce passage four (P4)-ADSCs, which were subsequently detected with oil red staining on the 7th day and the adipogenic ratio was calculated. Different concentrations of ATE without FBS (100 microg/mL, 250 microg/mL and 500 microg/mL) were used to induce P4-ADSCs before the adipogenic events, and the adipogenic ratio of each concentration group was observed. The effect of different protein concentrations on ADSCs proliferation and migration was also observed. RESULTS: Alizarin red staining and NF immunofluorescence staining were positive after the osteogenic and neural induction of cultured ADSCs. Either ATE with or without FBS was able to induce adipogenic differentiation of ADSCs on the 3rd day and there was no significant differences of adipogenic differentiation between ATE with FBS and without FBS on the 7th day. The adipogenic ratio of 500 microg/mL group was higher than that of 100 pg/mL group and 250 microg/mL group (P < 0.05). After two days of induction, all the three different protein concentrations could inhibit cell proliferation, and different protein concentrations in ATE had no effect on the migration of ADSCs. CONCLUSION: ATE obtained from culture medium without FBS has no effect on adipogenic capacity of ADSCs in a short period of time. The adipogenic ratio of ADSCs is associated with protein concentration in ATE.

[Research on the effect of extract of dentin matrix on the differentiation of dental pulp cells].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of human treated dentin matrix (hTDM) extracellular matrix molecules on odontogenetic and neural differentiation of human dental pulp cells (hDPCs) with an aim to find an effective method to collect extracellular matrix molecules to contribute to reparation dental-pulp complex with dentin defects. METHODS: hDPCs were obtained and biological characteristics such as source of cells and multi-differentiation potentials were assessed using immunofluorescence and flow cytometry. Fabrication of hTDM extracts and hDPCs was induced with it for 1 week. The odontogenetic differentiation associated genes were tested by qRT-PCR. Results qRT-PCR results showed that cells were higher expression of odontogenetic differentiation associated genes ALP, OPN, OCN, BSP, DMP-1, DSP, beta-III tubulin. CONCLUSION: The method of extracting extracellular matrix molecules from dentin matrix was effective. The extract liquid provides a suitable microenvironment for odontogenetic and neural differentiation of hDPCs and contributes to reparation dental-pulp complex.

[Increased survival of free fat grafts with adipose-derived stem cells and platelet-rich plasma in nude mice].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of combined adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) on the survival of transplanted fat. METHODS: The ASCs were isolated and cultured from fat tissues by enzyme digestion; and the PRP was prepared by two-step ultracentrifugation. The grafts of fat granules were divided into test groups (ASCs + PRP + fat granules, PRP + fat granules, ASCs + fat granules) and control groups (PBS + fat granules). The grafts were injected into the left and right dorsal subcutaneous areas of nude mice. General observations, volume measurements and microscope examinations were conducted 10 d, 30 d, 60 d and 90 d after transplantation. RESULTS: The grafts of the mice in the ASCs + PRP group showed soft structure, with light yellow color and closer to normal adipose tissue compared with those in other groups. Greater survival volumes (P < 0.05) and better histology were also observed in the grafts of the mice in the ASCs + PRP group. CONCLUSION: The fat grafts consisting of PRP and ASCs constitute an ideal transplant strategy, which could provide a valuable and needed tool in plastic and reconstructive surgery.

Two triplet emitting states in one emitter: Near-infrared dual-phosphorescent Au20 nanocluster.

Intrinsic dual-emission (DE) of gold nanoclusters in the near-infrared (NIR) are fascinating for fundamental importance and practical applications, but their synthesis remains a formidable challenge and sophisticated excited-state processes make elucidating DE mechanisms much more arduous. Here, we report an all-alkynyl-protected gold nanocluster, Au20, showing a prolate Au12 tri-octahedral kernel surrounded by two Au2(CZ-PrA)3 dimers, four Au(CZ-PrA)2 monomers, and two CZ-PrA- bridges. Au20 exhibits distinguished photophysical properties including NIR DE at 820 and 940 nm, microsecond radiative relaxation, and 6.26% photoluminescent quantum yield at ambient environment in nondegassed solution. Combining systematic studies on steady/transient spectroscopy and theoretical calculation, we identified two triplet charge transfer (CT) states, ligand-to-kernel and kernel-based CT states as DE origins. Furthermore, this NIR DE exhibits highly independent and sensitive response to surrounding environments, which well coincide with its mechanism. This work not only provides a substantial structure model to understand a distinctive DE mechanism but also motivates the further development of NIR DE materials.

The osteogenic response of undifferentiated human adipose-derived stem cells under mechanical stimulation.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the osteogenic response of human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs) under mechanical and/or chemical stimulation. hASCs were divided into three groups. In group A, the cells were cultured without any stimulation, in group B, the cells were induced with chemical stimulation, and in group C, the cells were induced with a combination of chemical stimulation and stretch loading. Stretch loading and chemical stimulation were applied using a four-point bending apparatus (0.5 Hz, 2,000 µÎµ, 2 h/day) and osteogenic differentiation medium, respectively. At the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 7th day following initiation of stretch loading, we detected alkaline phosphatase activity, mRNA expression (RUNX2, ALPL, osteonectin, osteopontin and type I collagen) and protein expression (RUNX2 and osteopontin) by colorimetric assay, real-time PCR and Western blot methods, respectively. Alkaline phosphatase activity, mRNA expression and protein expression all increased in groups B and C along with the culture time, but were observed to be downregulated by the 7th day in group C (p < 0.05). Compared to group A, most of the above markers were significantly higher in groups B and C (p < 0.05). All of the above markers in group C were higher than those in group B before the 5th day (p < 0.05), except at the 1st day. These results indicated that stretch loading promoted osteogenic differentiation of hASCs and that the combination of mechanical and chemical stimulation could enhance the osteogenic capability up to the 5th day relative to chemical stimulation alone.

[The research on the induction of secretome by adipose tissue for adipose-derived stem cells].

OBJECTIVE: Study the role for adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ADSCs) of secretome by adipose tissue and hoped that makes some contributions for the fat regeneration. METHODS: Direct adherent culture methods and the flow cytometry (FCM) were used to isolate and identify ADSCs. Collected the medium that had contained secreted proteins as the conditional medium (CM) and was used to induce ADSCs, chemical medium group as the positive control and normal medium group as the negative control. The formation of lipid drops was observed through the cell morphology, and the reliability was verified through Real-time PCR of the mRNA level in vitro. To test the effect of CM on ADSCs in vivo, the absorbable gelatin sponge was used as a scaffold for ADSCs. RESULTS: FCM ensured that the cultured cells were ADSCs. Significant increased lipid drops and related mRNA levels were observed in induced ADSCs cultured for 4 days, which indicated that the CM could promote the ADSCs differentiate into adipocytes after cultured for 4 days in vitro. The secreted proteins could promote ADSCS differentiate into vascularization tissues in vivo. CONCLUSION: The secreted proteome may contain some growth factors that can promote ADSCs to differentiate into adipocytes and vascularization, which may give new directions for the growth factors that could be applied in the repair of soft tissue.

Microspheres and their Potential in Endodontic Regeneration Application.

Microspheres have been widely utilised as versatile carriers in biomedical applications. In recent years, as a new type of injectable scaffold, microspheres have attracted increasing attention in the field of regenerative medicine owing to their various advantages including their small size, large specific surface area and mimicry of the 3D native environment. These characteristics enable them to adopt the narrow and irregular anatomy of the tooth and become an ideal scaffold for endodontic regeneration. Microspheres play an important role in carrying biologics (cells, biomolecules and drugs), which effectively regulate the fate of stem cells and control the release of growth factors and drugs. Cell-laden microspheres, which can be divided into microcarriers and microcapsules, have great application prospects in dental pulp regeneration. This paper summarises the properties and characteristics of microsphere scaffolds used in tissue engineering, placing emphasis on their advantages and applications in endodontic regeneration.

Therapeutic potential of dental pulp stem cells and their derivatives: Insights from basic research toward clinical applications.

For more than 20 years, researchers have isolated and identified postnatal dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) from different teeth, including natal teeth, exfoliated deciduous teeth, healthy teeth, and diseased teeth. Their mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-like immunophenotypic characteristics, high proliferation rate, potential for multidirectional differentiation and biological features were demonstrated to be superior to those of bone marrow MSCs. In addition, several main application forms of DPSCs and their derivatives have been investigated, including stem cell injections, modified stem cells, stem cell sheets and stem cell spheroids. In vitro and in vivo administration of DPSCs and their derivatives exhibited beneficial effects in various disease models of different tissues and organs. Therefore, DPSCs and their derivatives are regarded as excellent candidates for stem cell-based tissue regeneration. In this review, we aim to provide an overview of the potential application of DPSCs and their derivatives in the field of regenerative medicine. We describe the similarities and differences of DPSCs isolated from donors of different ages and health conditions. The methodologies for therapeutic administration of DPSCs and their derivatives are introduced, including single injections and the transplantation of the cells with a support, as cell sheets, or as cell spheroids. We also summarize the underlying mechanisms of the regenerative potential of DPSCs.

Comparative genomics study of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) and ectoine relevant genes from Halomonas sp. TD01 revealed extensive horizontal gene transfer events and co-evolutionary relationships.

BACKGROUND: Halophilic bacteria have shown their significance in industrial production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) and are gaining more attention for genetic engineering modification. Yet, little information on the genomics and PHA related genes from halophilic bacteria have been disclosed so far. RESULTS: The draft genome of moderately halophilic bacterium, Halomonas sp. TD01, a strain of great potential for industrial production of short-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), was analyzed through computational methods to reveal the osmoregulation mechanism and the evolutionary relationship of the enzymes relevant to PHA and ectoine syntheses. Genes involved in the metabolism of PHA and osmolytes were annotated and studied in silico. Although PHA synthase, depolymerase, regulator/repressor and phasin were all involved in PHA metabolic pathways, they demonstrated different horizontal gene transfer (HGT) events between the genomes of different strains. In contrast, co-occurrence of ectoine genes in the same genome was more frequently observed, and ectoine genes were more likely under coincidental horizontal gene transfer than PHA related genes. In addition, the adjacent organization of the homologues of PHA synthase phaC1 and PHA granule binding protein phaP was conserved in the strain TD01, which was also observed in some halophiles and non-halophiles exclusively from γ-proteobacteria. In contrast to haloarchaea, the proteome of Halomonas sp. TD01 did not show obvious inclination towards acidity relative to non-halophilic Escherichia coli MG1655, which signified that Halomonas sp. TD01 preferred the accumulation of organic osmolytes to ions in order to balance the intracellular osmotic pressure with the environment. CONCLUSIONS: The accessibility of genome information would facilitate research on the genetic engineering of halophilic bacteria including Halomonas sp. TD01.

[Expression profiling of peroxisome proliferation activate receptor gamma2 and phosphorylation during adipogenic differentiation of adipose-derived stem cells].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate PPARgamma2 expression and phosphorylation involved in adipogenic differentiations of Adipose-derived Stem Cells (ASCs) with an aim to reveal the possible mechanisms of adipose development. METHODS: ASCs were obtained from the inguinal fat pads of GFP (green fluorescent protein) mice. The primary cells were cultured in histiocytic attachment cultivation. Adipogenic differentiation of the third generation of ASCs was induced with the conditional medium (alpha-MEM medium supplemented with 100 mL/L fetal bovine serum, 10(-6) mol/L dexamethasone, 10(-5) mol/L insulin, 0. 2 mmol/L indomethacin, and 0.5 mmol/L 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine). The levels of PPARgamma2 mRNA and the PPARgamma2 expression and phosphorylation at day 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 of induction were detected using RT-PCR, fluorescence-immunocytochemistry and western blot, respectively. RESULTS: The expression of PPARgamma2 and phosphorylation were significantly up-regulated during adipogenic differentiation of ASCs. CONCLUSION: PPARgamma2 is the key regulator of adipose development. The regulation of PPARgamma2 phosphorylation may promote adipogenic differentiation of ASCs.

Advances in Research on Stem Cell-Based Pulp Regeneration.

Although root canal therapy is the most common and widely used treatment at clinical presentation, there are still some postoperative complications. As cell biology and tissue engineering techniques advance rapidly, the use of biological therapy to regenerate dental pulp has become a new trend; Relevant literatures in recent five years were searched using key words such as "root canal therapy", "Dental pulp stem cells", "Dental pulp regeneration", and "Cell homing" in PubMed, Web of Science, etc; Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) have multi-differentiation potential, self-renewal capability, and high proliferative ability. Stem cell-based dental pulp regeneration has emerged as a new research hot spot in clinical therapy. Recently, dental pulp-like structures have been generated by the transplantation of exogenous DPSCs or the induction of homing of endogenous DPSCs. Studies on DPSCs are important and significant for dental pulp regeneration and dental restoration; In this review, the existing clinical treatment methods, dental pulp regeneration, and DPSC research status are revealed, and their application prospects are discussed. The stem cell-based pulp regeneration exerts promising potential in clinical therapy for pulp regeneration.

Neurotrophic effects of dental pulp stem cells in repair of peripheral nerve after crush injury.

BACKGROUND: Nerve diseases and injuries, which are usually accompanied by motor or sensory dysfunction and disorder, impose a heavy burden upon patients and greatly reduce their quality of life. Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs), derived from the neural crest, have many characteristics that are similar to those of neural cells, indicating that they can be an ideal source for neural repair. AIM: To explore the potential roles and molecular mechanisms of DPSCs in crushed nerve recovery. METHODS: DPSCs were isolated, cultured, and identified by multilineage differentiation and flow cytometry. Western blot and immunofluorescent staining were applied to analyze the expression levels of neurotrophic proteins in DPSCs after neural induction. Then, we collected the secretions of DPSCs. We analyzed their effects on RSC96 cell proliferation and migration by CCK8 and transwell assays. Finally, we generated a sciatic nerve crush injury model in vivo and used the sciatic function index, walking track analysis, muscle weight, and hematoxylin & eosin (H&E) staining to further evaluate the nerve repair ability of DPSCs. RESULTS: DPSCs highly expressed several specific neural markers, including GFAP, S100, Nestin, P75, and NF200, and were inclined toward neural differentiation. Furthermore, neural-induced DPSCs (N-DPSCs) could express neurotrophic factors, including NGF, BDNF, and GDNF. The secretions of N-DPSCs could enhance the proliferation and migration of Schwann cells. In vivo, both DPSC and N-DPSC implants alleviated gastrocnemius muscle atrophy. However, in terms of anatomy and motor function, as shown by H&E staining, immunofluorescent staining, and walking track analyses, the repair effects of N-DPSCs were more sustained, potent, and effective than those of DPSCs and the controls. CONCLUSION: In summary, this study demonstrated that DPSCs are inclined to differentiate into neural cells. N-DPSCs express neurotrophic proteins that could enhance the proliferation and migration of SCs. Furthermore, our results suggested that N-DPSCs could help crushed nerves with functional recovery and anatomical repair in vivo. Thus, DPSCs or N-DPSCs could be a promising therapeutic cell source for peripheral nerve repair and regeneration.