Objectives: Tricalcium silicate (TCS)-based biomaterials induce differentiation of human dental pulp cells (hDPCs) into odontoblasts/osteoblasts, which is regulated by the interplay between various intracellular pathways and their resultant secretome. The aim of this study was to compare the transcriptome-wide effects by next-generation RNA sequencing of custom-prepared hDPCs stimulated with TCS-based biomaterials: ProRoot white MTA (WMTA) (Dentsply, Tulsa; Tulsa, OK) and Biodentine (Septodont, Saint Maur des Fosses, France).
Methods: Self-isolated hDPCs were seeded in a 6-well plate at a density of 5 × 105 cells per well. ProRoot white MTA and Biodentine were then placed in transwell inserts with a pore size of 0.4 μm and inserted in the well plate. RNA sequencing was performed after 3 and 7 days treatment. For post-validation, RT-PCR analyses were done on some of the RNA samples used for RNA sequencing.
Results: Our RNA sequencing results for the first time identified 7533 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between different treatments and the number of DEGs in Biodentine was higher than ProRoot WMTA at both 3 and 7 days. Despite their differential gene expression, both the TCS-based biomaterial treatments showed gene expressions mainly involved in odontoblast differentiation, angiogenesis, neurogenesis, dentinogenesis, and tooth mineralization.
Conclusions: The results of the present study illustrate that several important signalling pathways are induced by hDPCs stimulated with TCS-based biomaterials.
Clinical relevance: The differential expression of the genes associated with odontogenesis, angiogenesis, neurogenesis, dentinogenesis, and mineralization may affect the prognosis of teeth treated with Biodentine or ProRoot white MTA.
Keywords: Biodentine; MTA; Mineral trioxide aggregate; RNA sequencing; Transcriptomics.