Abstract
Regenerative medicine brings promising applications for mesenchymal stem cells, such as dentalpulp stem cells (DPSCs). Confocal Raman microscopy, a noninvasive technique, is used to study osteogenicdifferentiation of DPSCs. Integrated Raman intensities in the 2800 to 3000 cm−1 region (C-H stretching) and the960cm−1 peak (ν1) were collected (to image cells and phosphate, respectively), and the ratio of two peaks1660 over 1690 cm−1 (amide I bands) to measure the collagen cross-linking has been calculated. Raman spectra of DPSCs after 21 days differentiation reveal several phosphate peaks: ν1 (first stretching mode) at 960 cm−1, ν2 at 430 cm−1, and ν4 at 585 cm−1 and collagen cross-linking can also be calculated. Confocal Raman microscopy enables monitoring osteogenic differentiation in vitro and can be a credible tool for clinical stem cell based research.