Background:

Despite scientific and ethical issues, fetal bovine serum (FBS) remains the standard nutrient supplement in the mesenchymal stem cell cultivation medium. Given that cell amplification plays an important role in human stem cell therapies, there is an increasing interest in finding suitable human alternatives to FBS for in vitro cell propagation. One such alternative is human platelet lysate (hPL). Methods Our study aimed at evaluating the influence of 2% hPL in growth medium for in vitro expansion of human natal dental pulp stem cells (hNDP-SCs). We determined the effect this medium had on proliferation rate, viability, phenotype profile, expression of several markers, relative telomere length change, and differentiation potential of four lineages of hNDP-SCs. As a control, hNDP-SCs were simultaneously cultivated in 2% FBS. Results hNDP-SCs cultivated in hPL showed a statistically significantly higher proliferation rate in initial passages. We did not observe a statistically significant effect on mesenchymal stem cells marker (CD29, CD44, CD73, CD90) or stromal-associated marker (CD13, CD166) expression. The cell viability, relative telomere length, and multipotency remained unaffected in hNDP-SCs cultivated in hPL-medium. Conclusions In conclusion, hPL produced under controlled and standardized conditions has demonstrated to be an efficient serum supplement for in vitro expansion of hNDP-SCs.