TNF-alpha increases angiogenic potential in a co-culture system of dental pulp cells and endothelial cells

Abstract We recently demonstrated that a co-culture system of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) could enhance angiogenesis ability in vitro. However, whether tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) could promote blood vessel formation during pulp regeneration remained unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of TNF-α on the formation of endothelial tubules and vascular networks in a co-culture system of hDPSCs and HUVECs. hDPSCs were co-cultured with HUVECs at a ratio of 1:5. The Matrigel assay was performed to detect the ...