Abstract: Objective　To compare the proliferation, osteogenic and dentinogenic differentiation ability of stem cells from apical papilla and periodontal ligament stem cells, this study provides a theoretical basis for the application of stem cells in root regeneration. Methods PDLSCs and SCAP were obtained by combining enzyme digestion method and tissue block method. The expressions of stem cell surface markers CD90, CD146 were detected by FACS. The proliferation abilities of PDLSCs and SCAP were evaluated by CCK-8 method. The osteogenic abilities of PDLSCs and SCAP were tested by alizarin red staining and quantitative real-time PCR. And the expressions of dentinogenic protein: dentin matrix protein-1(DMP-1), dentin sialophosphoprotein(DSPP) were detected by quantitative real-time PCR. Result FACS profiling showed that PDLSCs and SCAP were strongly positive for CD105、CD90 and CD146. The results of CCK-8 showed that SCAP could promote the proliferation of PDLSCs (P<0.05). The alizarin red staining showed that the SCAP of mineralized nodules increased . Quantitative real-time PCR results showed that the expression of osteogenic marker genes Cementum attachment protein(CAP), Osteopontin(OPN), Runt-related transcription factor 2(RUNX-2) in SCAP were significantly higher than PDLSCs(P<0.05), and the expression levels of DMP-1 and DSPP in SCAP were significantly higher than PDLSCs (P<0.05). Conclusion The apical papilla stem cells have stronger proliferation, osteogenic and dentinogenic ability than periodontal ligament stem cells.

Key words: Stem cells from apical papilla, Periodontal ligament stem cells, Differentiation