The neuroregenerative aspects of insulin-like growth factor-2 enhanced dental pulp stem cells as a therapy for ischemic stroke

Abstract

Stroke is a major cause of disability and is the second leading cause of death worldwide. Current therapies are only applicable to a minority of the patients, highlighting the need for new treatments. A stroke can be defined as a sudden alteration in the cerebral blood flow, resulting in a loss of brain function. A promising alternative therapeutic approach is the use of human dental pulp stem cells (DPSC), which is devoted to their secretory character. During this study, the IGF-2 expression levels of insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF-2) by DPSC were first investigated. Next, it was examined whether IGF-2 and two engineered IGF-2 variants Des[1-6], and Arg6 improve neurogenesis and angiogenesis in vitro. The final goal is to use the most potent variant in a DPSC cell-line to enhance the neuroregenerative effects of DPSC.