Background: Diabetic foot ulceration is a common chronic diabetic complication. Human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) have been widely in regenerative medicine used owing to their multipotency and wide range of sources. In this study, we developed an hUC-MSC tissue sheet by combining hUC-MSCs and a poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA)-based scaffold.
Methods: hUC-MSC tissue sheets were formed and optimized by culturing hUC-MSCs on PLGA-based scaffolds. Cell apoptosis, collagen composition, and tissue sheet characterization were evaluated by immunostaining in vitro . Diabetic mice were subjected to a full-thickness skin biopsy experiment to generate diabetic wounds and treated with either the hUC-MSC tissue sheet, hUC-MSC injection, fiber only, or left untreated (control). Fourteen days after transplantation, wound area tissue was collected for histological and immunohistochemical analyses.
Results: The in vitro data showed that hUC-MSC tissue sheets formed thick and solid tissue sheets with abundant extracellular matrix (ECM). Additionally, hUC-MSC tissue sheet transplantation promoted diabetic wound healing in vivo , with improved re-epithelialization and collagen deposition. Remarkable blood vessel formation and maturation were also observed in the hUC-MSC tissue sheet group compared to the other groups. Furthermore, hUC-MSC transplantation alleviated inflammation in vivo .
Conclusion: Our findings suggest that hUC-MSCs cultured on PLGA scaffolds improve diabetic wound healing, collagen deposition, and angiogenesis . These data provide a novel and effective method for cell transplantation, and a new strategy for the treatment of diabetic skin wounds.