Understanding stem cell behavior as a delivery tool in cancer therapy is essential for evaluating their future clinical potential. Previous in-vivo studies proved the use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for local delivery of the commonest anticancer drug, paclitaxel (PTX). Dental pulp is a relatively abundant noninvasive source of MSCs. We assess dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs), for the first time, as anticancer drug carriers. Confocal Raman microscopy is a unique tool to trace drug and cell viability without labeling. Drug uptake and cell apoptosis are identified through confocal Raman microscope. We traced translocation of cytochrome c enzyme from the mitochondria, as a biomarker for apoptosis, after testing both cancer and stem cells. The viability of stem cells was checked by means of confocal Raman microscope and by cytotoxicity assays. In this study, we prove that DPSCs can be loaded in vitro with the anticancerous drug without affecting their viability, which is later released in the culture medium of breast cancer cells (MCF-7 cells) in a time-dependent fashion. The induced cytotoxic damage in MCF-7 cells was observed consequently after PTX release by DPSCs. Additionally, quantitative Raman images of intracellular drug uptake in DPSCs and MCF-7 cells were obtained. Cytotoxic assays prove the DPSCs to be more resistant to PTX as compared to bone marrow-derived MSCs, provided similar conditions. Applications of dental stem cells for targeted treatment of cancer could be a revolution to reduce morbidity due to chemotherapy, and to increase the efficacy of systemic cancer treatment.

Purpose: Bone graft materials can be obtained from the patient’s own body (autologous graft), animals (xenograft), human cadavers (allograft) and synthetic materials (alloplastic bone graft). Patients may have ethical, religious or medical concerns about the origin of bone grafts, which could lead them to reject the use of certain types of bone graft in their treatments. The aim of this multicenter study, which surveyed patients from five university clinics in Portugal, France, Italy, Spain and Chile, was to analyze patients’ opinions regarding the source of bone grafts. Patients and methods: A survey composed of ten questions was translated into local languages and validated. Patients were asked about the degree of acceptance/rejection of each graft and the reasons for rejection. A chi-squared test was used to analyze statistically significant differences. Results: Three hundred thirty patients were surveyed. The grafts that elicited the highest percentage of refusal were allograft (40.4%), autologous bone graft from an extraoral donor site (34%) and xenograft (32.7%). The grafts with the lowest rate of refusal were alloplastic (6.3%) and autologous bone grafts from an intraoral donor site (24.5%). The main reason for autologous bone rejection was the fear of pain and discomfort, for xenograft it was the fear of disease transmission and the rejection of use of animals for human benefit, and for allograft it was ethical/moral motivations and the fear of disease transmission. Religious affiliation influenced patient’s preferences. Conclusion: The origin of bone grafts is still conflictive for a high percentage of patients.

Gingival bleeding (GB) is a common sign of gingival inflammation which indicates the presence of periodontal diseases. This cross-sectional multicenter survey aimed to assess the prevalence of self-reported gingival bleeding (SRGB) in French adults and identify the main associated factors. A questionnaire-based interview was randomly proposed to 794 individuals in four French cities (Nancy, Montpellier, Paris, and Rennes). Subjects were recruited in preventive medicine centers (50%), railway stations, and malls (50%). The questionnaire comprised 25 items: SRGB characteristics, socioeconomic variables, oral hygiene habits, use of drugs, and anxiety level. The overall prevalence of SRGB was 63.2% [59.8%; 66.6%], with 58.7% bleeding after toothbrushing and 4.5% spontaneous bleeding. Males reported significantly lower SRGB prevalence than females (p = 0.04). The distribution of SRGB frequency was inversely proportional to age (p < 0.0001). No association between drug use and SRGB was found. The people interviewed in the preventive medicine centers reported the highest frequency of SRGB (p < 0.0001). In the multivariate logistic model, SRGB was significantly related to occupation, smoking status, brushing frequency, and anxiety level. In conclusion, SRGB was prevalent in more than half of the sample and was mainly associated with age, toothbrushing frequency, and anxiety level. Thus, providing information to patients about the importance of this oral manifestation may play an important role in preventing periodontal diseases.

Gingival bleeding (GB) is a common sign of gingival inflammation, which indicates the presence of periodontal diseases. This study aimed to describe the perception of French adults about their self-reported GB and answers of healthcare professionals regarding the GB reported by these interviewees. A questionnaire administered by one investigator in each of three public settings of four cities in France from September 2016 to November 2017. Among 794 adults interviewed, 502 (63.2%) reported a GB. Among them, 414 (82.5%) believed that GB is benign, and 309 (61.6%) declared one or more responses. The three main responses were to use mouthwash (29.3%), to change to a soft-bristle toothbrush (20.1%) and to modify the brushing technique (19.3%). Almost half (49.0%) questioned at least one healthcare professional concerning their GB: a dentist (43.0%), a physician (14.1%), and a pharmacist (8.0%). The main response of each healthcare professional was: for dentists: a “prescription of mouthwash”, for physicians to say “gingival bleeding is not serious”; and for pharmacists: “to sell a mouthwash”. Most of the participants considered their GB as benign and had inappropriate responses, which indicates their lack of knowledge regarding periodontal health. The same conclusions can be drawn for healthcare professionals, as reported by interviewees.