Title:Evaluation of the Composite Skin Patch Loaded with Bioactive Functional
Factors Derived from Multicellular Spheres of EMSCs for Regeneration of
Full-thickness Skin Defects in Rats
Volume: 19
Issue: 8
Author(s): Xuan Zhang, Wentao Shi, Xun Wang, Yin Zou, Wen Xiang*Naiyan Lu
Affiliation:
- School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
Keywords:
Ectodermal mesenchymal stem cells (EMSCs), three-dimensional multicellular spheres culture, conditioned medium (CM), skin defects, regeneration medicine.
Abstract:
Background: Transplantation of stem cells/scaffold is an efficient approach for treating tissue
injury including full-thickness skin defects. However, the application of stem cells is limited by preservation
issues, ethical restriction, low viability, and immune rejection in vivo. The mesenchymal stem cell
conditioned medium is abundant in bioactive functional factors, making it a viable alternative to living
cells in regeneration medicine.
Methods: Nasal mucosa-derived ecto-mesenchymal stem cells (EMSCs) of rats were identified and
grown in suspension sphere-forming 3D culture. The EMSCs-conditioned medium (EMSCs-CM) was
collected, lyophilized, and analyzed for its bioactive components. Next, fibrinogen and chitosan were
further mixed and cross-linked with the lyophilized powder to obtain functional skin patches. Their capacity
to gradually release bioactive substances and biocompatibility with epidermal cells were assessed
in vitro. Finally, a full-thickness skin defect model was established to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of
the skin patch.
Results: The EMSCs-CM contains abundant bioactive proteins including VEGF, KGF, EGF, bFGF,
SHH, IL-10, and fibronectin. The bioactive functional composite skin patch containing EMSCs-CM lyophilized
powder showed the network-like microstructure could continuously release the bioactive proteins,
and possessed ideal biocompatibility with rat epidermal cells in vitro. Transplantation of the composite
skin patch could expedite the healing of the full-thickness skin defect by promoting endogenous
epidermal stem cell proliferation and skin appendage regeneration in rats.
Conclusion: In summary, the bioactive functional composite skin patch containing EMSCs-CM lyophilized
powder can effectively accelerate skin repair, which has promising application prospects in the
treatment of skin defects.
