**5. Conclusions**

In conclusion, DPSCs exhibit: (i) higher osteogenic di fferentiation capacity, (ii) comparable chondrogenic and adipogenic di fferentiation potential and (iii) limited ability for the cardiac or endothelial phenotype in comparison with the other "classic" MSCs (UC-MSCs). The current results may help determine the future direction of the application of these cells in regenerative therapies.

Importantly, 3D cell encapsulation as well as the low concentration of O2 resembling conditions in the stem cell niches may favour osteogenic di fferentiation of DPSCs in an in vitro environment. The positive impact of hypoxia on the osteogenic potential of DPSCs was visible notably in 3D culture conditions.

Thus, tissue engineering approaches combining DPSCs, 3D biomaterial sca ffolds, and other stimulating chemical factors may represent new innovative paths in the development of tissue repair.

**Supplementary Materials:** Supplementary Materials can be found at http://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/17/ 6172/s1. Figure S1. Immunocytochemical staining of DPSCs and UC-MSCs at 7 day of standard cell culture. Figure S2. Expression of osteopontin during osteogenic differentiation of DPSCs encapsulated in hydrogel (3D) or seeded on the surface coated with gelatin (2D) cultured in hypoxic (2% O2) or normoxic (18% O2) environment. Table S1. Fold change in mRNA expression for osteogenesis related genes (osteocalcin, osteopontin, *Runx2*) in DPSCs and UC-MSCs by Real-Time RT-PCR. Table S2. Fold change in mRNA expression for chondrogenesis related genes

*Int. J. Mol. Sci.* **2020**, *21*, 6172

(*Acan, Col10A1, Col2A1, Sox9*) in DPSCs and UC-MSCs by Real-Time RT-PCR. Table S3. Fold change in mRNA expression for adipogenesis related genes (*CEBP*<sup>α</sup>*, PPAR*γ) in DPSCs and UC-MSCs by Real-Time RT-PCR. Table S4. Fold change in mRNA expression for cardiomyogenesis related genes (*Gata-4, Nkx2.5, Myl2c*) in DPSCs and UC-MSCs by Real-Time RT-PCR. Table S5. Fold change in mRNA expression for endothelial related genes (*Gata-2, Tie-2*, VE-cadherin) in DPSCs and UC-MSCs by Real-Time RT-PCR.

**Author Contributions:** Conceptualization: A.L.-M. and E.Z.-S.; methodology: A.L.-M., T.K., M.S.-S., S.N. and E.Z.-S.; validation: A.L.-M., Z.M. and E.Z.-S.; formal analysis: A.L.-M., N.B. and A.K.; investigation: A.L.-M., N.B. and A.K.; resources: T.K., D.B., M.S.-S., S.N., E.Z.-S. and Z.M.; writing—original draft preparation: A.L.-M., N.B. and A.K.; writing—review and editing: E.Z.-S. and T.K.; visualization: A.L.-M., N.B. and A.K.; supervision, financial and logistical support: E.Z.-S. and Z.M.; project administration: E.Z.-S.; funding acquisition: E.Z.-S. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

**Funding:** This research was funded by The National Science Center, Symfonia 3 gran<sup>t</sup> number UMO-2015/16/W/NZ4/00071 (to E.Z.-S.) and The National Center For Research And Development, Strategmed 3 gran<sup>t</sup> number STRATEGMED3/303570/7/NCBR/2017 (to E.Z.-S.). A.L.-M. obtained a doctoral scholarship funded by The National Science Center, Etiuda 4 gran<sup>t</sup> number UMO-2016/20/T/NZ3/00516 (to A.L.-M.).

**Acknowledgments:** The authors would like to thank Sylwia Bobis-Wozowicz from Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland for designing primer sequences used in this study. We would also to thank Małgorzata Lekka from the Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland for access to AFM and providing conceptual support during analyses of AFM data.

**Conflicts of Interest:** The authors declare no conflict of interest.
