Evaluation of the Toxicity of Human Dental Pulp-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells on Animal Models: An Animal Study

INTRODUCTION: Dental pulp remains one of the important sources of mesenchymal stem cells for most preclinical and clinical studies. AIM AND OBJECTIVES: To assess the safety after injecting human dental pulp-derived mesenchymal stem cells by intramucosal and intrabony routes in rabbits for clinical application. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Animal studies were carried out among 30 New Zealand male white rabbits (3–5 months old), weighing 1.5–2 kgs, which were divided into three groups with 10 animals in each group. Group 1: control group, Group 2: intramucosal route, Group 3: intrabony route. Data were analyzed using Student's t-test, and any P ≤ 0.05 was statistically significant. RESULTS: A total of 30 rabbits were selected for the study, among which significant statistical difference for Packed cell volume (PCV) (P < 0.05), MCHC (P < 0.05), platelet count (P < 0.05), and ESR (p < 0.001) has been reported in the hematological parameters. The results of the present study indicate that the transplantation of hDPSCs by intramucosal and intrabony routes into a rabbit is non-toxic without any detectable side effects or local or systemic rejection. The pre-clinical safety and toxicity of the hDPSCs in various human disease models need to be determined in future studies. Various pre-clinical studies to determine the safety and toxicity of hDPSCs in human disease models have to be done in the future. CONCLUSION: This study showed that the intramucosal route and intrabony route of administration of stem cells were found to be non-toxic at 10 million per mL concentration. A further evaluation must be done for more definitive results.