Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells combined with porcine small intestinal submucosa promote the healing of full-thickness skin injury in SD rats

Xu XiaoMing; Chen Yan; Gu JiaMing; Liang LiTao; Zhang LiJuan; Song Ying; Yuan Lu; Song Qian; Dong Jian

doi:10.2144/fsoa-2023-0123

Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells combined with porcine small intestinal submucosa promote the healing of full-thickness skin injury in SD rats

Future Sci OA. 2024 May 20;10(1):FSO955. doi: 10.2144/fsoa-2023-0123. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Xu XiaoMing¹, Chen Yan¹, Gu JiaMing¹, Liang LiTao², Zhang LiJuan³, Song Ying⁴, Yuan Lu¹, Song Qian¹, Dong Jian¹

Affiliations

¹ Yunnan Tumor Research Institute, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Yunnan Provincial Tumor Hospital/Yunnan Cellular Therapy & Quality Control System Engineering Research Center, Kunming, Yunnan, 650118, China.
² Department of Obstetrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University,Kunming,Yunnan, 650101, China.
³ Department of Pathology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Yunnan Provincial Tumor Hospital, Kunming, Yunnan, 650118, China.
⁴ Department of Obstetrics, Kunming Maternal & Child Health Hospital, Kunming, Yunnan, 650011, China.

Abstract

Aim: To assess the therapeutic potential of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs) combined with porcine small intestinal submucosa (SIS) on full-thickness skin injuries in rats. Methods: We established full-thickness skin injury models in Sprague-Dawley rats, dividing them into blank control, SIS, hUCMSCs and hUCMSCs combined with SIS. We monitored wound healing, scores and area, and analyzed inflammatory cells, microvessel density and collagen fibers after 12 days. Results: The blank group showed no healing, forming a scar of 0.6 × 0.5 cm², while SIS and hUCMSCs groups exhibited incomplete healing with 0.4 × 0.5 cm² scabs. Wound healing was significantly better in the hUCMSCs combined with the SIS group. Conclusion: Local application of hUCMSCs combined with SIS enhances full-thickness skin injury wound healing in rats.

Keywords: SD rats; full-thickness skin injury; human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells combined with porcine intestinal submucosa; vascularization.

Plain language summary

Our skin protects us from infections and injuries, but severe damage can lead to health problems. In this study, we explored a promising new treatment to enhance skin healing. We used mesenchymal stem cells derived from umbilical cords in combination with a biological material called porcine small intestinal submucosa (SIS) to conduct experiemnts on rats with skin wounds. This treatment led to much better healing in rats with deep skin wounds compared with standard approaches. This approach is promising for treating severe skin injuries, offering hope for quicker recovery and better outcome, including faster recovery, reduced pain and inflammation and less scarring.

Grants and funding

This study was funded by The Science and Technology Planning Project of Yunnan Province, China (grant no. 202101AY070001-186) and The Yunnan Key Laboratory of Cell Therapy Technology Translational Medicine (grant no. 2015DG034). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.