Ex vivo culture of oral keratinocytes using direct explant cell culture technique.

BACKGROUND: Culture of cells and tissues is a standard research method practiced in many laboratories. In most of the cases, these cultures are being used as substrates for cell products or as investigative tools for delving the mechanism of gene expression, cell proliferation and transformation. Primary monolayer cell culture has been beneficial to study the general biology of both oral and skin keratinocytes. There are two different techniques of primary cell cultures followed, which include direct explant and enzymatic techniques. AIMS: The aim of the study was to optimize the culture of keratinocytes obtained from patients with normal oral mucosa by direct explant technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Keratinocytes were isolated from 15 patients and were cultured in vitro and observed under an inverted microscope. The cultured cells were characterized by immunocytochemistry method using pan-cytokeratin. RESULTS: The total success rate of primary culture of the oral epithelial cells by direct explant technique was 88.6%. No contamination of microorganisms in the primary cell cultures was obtained. CONCLUSION: Within the limited numbers of samples used in the current pilot study, we conclude that the direct explant technique appears to be a simple and successful technique for the isolation of oral mucosal keratinocytes if we follow the appropriate protocol.

Stem-cell therapy and platelet-rich plasma in regenerative medicines: A review on pros and cons of the technologies.

Regenerative medicine encompasses new emerging branch of medical sciences that involves the functional restoration of tissues or organs caused by severe injuries or chronic diseases. Currently, there are two contending technologies that can repair and restore the damaged tissues, namely platelet-rich plasma (PRP)- and stem cell (SC)-based therapies. PRP is a component of blood that contains platelet concentrations above the normal level and includes platelet-related growth factors and plasma-derived fibrinogen. Platelets are the frontline healing response to injuries as they release growth factors for tissue repair. SCs, on the other hand, are the unspecialized, undifferentiated, immature cells that based on specific stimuli can divide and differentiate into specific type of cells and tissues. Differentiated SCs can divide and replace the worn out or damaged tissues to become tissue- or organ-specific cells with specialized functions. Despite these differences, both approaches rely on rejuvenating the damaged tissue. This review is focused on delineating the preparation procedures, similarities and disparities and advantages and disadvantages of PRP- and SC-based therapies.

First Detection and Characterization of Streptococcus dentapri from Caries Active Subject.

INTRODUCTION: Mutans streptococci (MS) are a group of oral bacteria generally regarded as the principal agents in the pathogenesis of dental caries. AIM: The study aimed was characterize S. dentapri based on phylogenetic analysis and phenotypic methods from Caries Active Subject. MATERIALS AND METHODS: While sequencing MS species which were isolated from 65 caries active subjects, one strain of S. dentapri was detected. Dental plaque samples were processed and cultured on mitis salivarius bacitracin agar. S. dentapri was characterized using phylogenetic analysis, colony morphology characterization and biotyping. RESULTS: Among the study population, one strain designated as H14 was identified as S. dentapri by 16S rDNA sequencing. Morphologically, S. dentapri could not differentiate from other species of MS. S. dentapri H14 demonstrated biotype II biochemical characteristics of MS. The phylogenetic analysis showed S. dentapri is closely related to S. macacae. CONCLUSION: The study concludes that S. dentapri can inhabit the human oral cavity and therefore further investigations are warranted to determine its role in caries.

Systemic manifestations of oral diseases.

The oral cavity is the site of much infectious and inflammatory disease which has been associated with systemic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and pre-term low births. This article emphasizes on the oral-systemic disease connection which is now a rapidly advancing area of research. The possible systemic diseases which arise from oral microorganisms are hereby focused.