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Figure 1. H&E staining of BMSSC and DPSC transplants. (A and a) BMSSC transplant at 2 wks post-transplantation showed connective tissue (CT) surrounding the HA/TCP carriers (HA). Bone regeneration (B) on the HA/TCP (HA) was found only on a very limited number of transplants. (B) At 4 wks post-transplantation, BMSSCs were able to generate bone (B) on the surface of the HA/TCP (HA) and had differentiated into osteoblasts (open arrows) and osteocytes (black arrows). (C) At 8 wks post-transplantation of the BMSSC transplant, a bone/marrow organ-like structure was generated, where osteoblasts (open arrows) lined the surface of bone tissue containing osteocytes (black arrows), and the connective tissue (CT) was replaced by hematopoietic marrow (HM). The interface between the hematopoietic marrow and connective tissue is indicated (yellow dashed line). (D) At 16 wks post-transplantation, the BMSSC transplant had developed into a mature bone/marrow organ, in which a significant amount of bone (B) was generated along with hematopoietic marrow elements (HM). (E and e) The DPSC transplant at 2 wks post-transplantation showed connective tissue (CT) surrounding the HA/TCP (HA). Similar to the BMSSC transplants, only very few transplants showed dentin (D) formation on the surface of the HA/TCP (HA). (F) After 4 wks of transplantation, DPSCs differentiated into odontoblasts (open arrows) responsible for new dentin (D) formation on the surface of the HA/TCP (HA). (G) At 8 wks post-transplantation of the DPSC transplant, a dentin/pulp complex was generated, at which odontoblasts (open arrows) lined the surface of the newly formed dentin (D), and the pulp-like tissue (Pulp) contained blood vessels and connective tissue. (H) At 16 wks post-transplantation, the DPSC transplant had continued to develop into a dentin/pulp complex, in which a significant amount of dentin (D) was generated adjacent to the pulp-like tissue (Pulp). Bar, 40 µm.
