The Effect of Encapsulated Umbilical Cord-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells in PRPCryogel on Regeneration of Grade-II Burn Wounds

• Published in: Regenerative engineering and translational medicine 2022-03, Vol.8 (1), p.75-85
• Main Authors: Afzali, Lotfollah, Mirahmadi-Babaheydari, Fatemeh, Shojaei-Ghahrizjani, Fereshteh, Rahmati, Shima, Shahmoradi, Babak, Banitalebi-Dehkordi, Mehdi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adipose tissue; Angiogenesis; Antiinfectives and antibacterials; Biomaterials; Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering; Bone marrow; Chemistry and Materials Science; Encapsulation; Fibroblasts; Flow cytometry; Gene expression; Granulation; Growth factors; Materials Science; Original Research; Platelets; Regeneration; Regenerative Medicine/Tissue Engineering; Stem cells; Tissue engineering; Umbilical cord; Wound healing
• ISSN: 2364-4133; 2364-4141
• DOI: 10.1007/s40883-020-00188-6

Purpose To achieve an efficient approach for burn regeneration, we aimed to investigate the effects of encapsulated human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUMSCs) in platelet-rich plasma cryogel (PRPCryogel) on regeneration of grade-II burn wounds in a rat model. Methods MSCs were extracted from the umbilical cord and characterized by flow cytometry. Forty rats were divided into 4 groups including PRPCryogel-MSCs, PRPCryogel, MSCs, and control treatment. After 7, 14, 21, and 28 days post-treatment, the wound sites were photographed and wound samples were taken. H&E staining for wound samples was done to assess re-epithelialization, angiogenesis, and formation of granulated tissue. The gene expression rates of Ang-1 and VEGF growth factors were also determined by qRT-PCR. Results The higher wound closure rate was seen for the PRPCryogel-MSCs group on day 21 and 28 compared to other groups. Based on H&E results, an ascending rate of re-epithelialization was seen for the PRPCryogel-MSCs group on day 28. The most angiogenesis rate was detected for MSCs and PRPCryogel-MSCs groups on day 14. The qRT-PCR results showed the peak expression rate of Ang-1 in PRPCryogel-MSCs and MSCs groups on day 14. The peak expression rate of VEGF was also seen for PRPCryogel-MSCs and PRPCryogel groups on day 28. Conclusion The treatment of burn wounds with PRPCryogel-MSCs promoted the wound closure and re-epithelialization rates. It also increased the expression rate of Ang-1 and VEGF genes which is consistent with pathological assessments. In conclusion, combination of MSCs with PRP can be considered as a promising approach for burn healing. Lay Summary and Future Work Application of different natural substances for wound healing returns to a long period of time ago. Nature has been always generous and among these, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) are such prominent gifts. MSCs have been well-identified for tissue regeneration which can be derived from bone marrow, umbilical cord, adipose tissue, etc. By differentiation into key cells such as fibroblasts and keratinocytes, contributing in vascularization, re-epithelialization, and collagen synthesis, MSCs accelerate the regeneration of damaged tissue. PRP is another spectacular substance derived from blood which is a rich suspension of platelets, growth factors with pain relieving and antimicrobial effects. We assessed the effects of MSCs which were placed within the PRP gel (PRPCryogel)