Comparison of Periodontal Ligament Stem Cells with Mesenchymal Stem Cells from Other Sources: A Scoping Systematic Review of In vitro and In vivo Studies.

Objective: The application of stem cells in regenerative medicine depends on their biological properties. This scoping review aimed to compare the features of periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSSCs) with stem cells derived from other sources.

Design: An electronic search in PubMed/Medline, Embase, Scopus, Google Scholar and Science Direct was conducted to identify in vitro and in vivo studies limited to English language.

Results: Overall, 65 articles were included. Most comparisons were made between bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs) and PDLSCs. BMSCs were found to have lower proliferation and higher osteogenesis potential in vitro and in vivo than PDLSCs; on the contrary, dental follicle stem cells and umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UCMSCs) had a higher proliferative ability and lower osteogenesis than PDLSCs. Moreover, UCMSCs exhibited a higher apoptotic rate, hTERT expression, and relative telomerase length. The immunomodulatory function of adipose-derived stem cells and BMSCs was comparable to PDLSCs. Gingival mesenchymal stem cells showed less sensitivity to long-term culture. Both pure and mixed gingival cells had lower osteogenic ability compared to PDLSCs. Comparison of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) with PDLSCs regarding proliferation rate, osteo/adipogenesis, and immunomodulatory properties was contradictory; however, in vivo bone formation of DPSCs seemed to be lower than PDLSCs.

Conclusion: In light of the performed comparative studies, PDLSCs showed comparable results to stem cells derived from other sources; however, further in vivo studies are needed to determine the actual pros and cons of stem cells in comparison to each other.