Calcium phosphate nanoparticles carrying YAP plasmid promote osteogenic potential in dental pulp stem cells by modulating BMP-2 expression and macrophage M2-like phenotype

DPSCs viability was decreased when exposed to the synthesized CaP/PEI-YAP (100 μg/mL). Compared with the CaP/PEI without YAP expression plasmid, cell migration of DPSCs in the CaP/PEI-YAP group was significantly elevated at 24 and 48 h, as demonstrated by wound healing and transwell assays. Increases of ALP activity and Alizarin red staining intensity indicated that DPSCs had differentiated toward an osteogenic lineage and showed extracellular calcium deposition after uptake of CaP/PEI-YAP by DPSCs.

CaP/PEI-YAP promoted macrophage M2-like phenotype with increased Arg-1 and BMP-2 while decreased iNOS expression.</p> <p>CaP/PEI-YAP constitute an innovative and promising instrument for targeted dental pulp regeneration, with mechanisms potentially involving the osteogenic potential of DPSCs and polarization of macrophages M2-like phenotype.</p>