Abstract
Chronic or non-healing skin wounds present an ongoing challenge in advanced wound care, particularly as the number of patients increases while technology aimed at stimulating wound healing in these cases remains inefficient. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have proved to be an attractive cell type for various cell therapies due to their ability to differentiate into various cell lineages, multiple donor tissue types, and relative resilience in ex-vivo expansion, as well as immunomodulatory effects during transplants. More recently, these cells have been targeted for use in strategies to improve chronic wound healing in patients with diabetic ulcers or other stasis wounds. Here, we outline several mechanisms by which MSCs can improve healing outcomes in these cases, including reducing tissue inflammation, inducing angiogenesis in the wound bed, and reducing scarring following the repair process. Approaches to extend MSC life span in implant sites are also examined.
Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest
No potential conflicts of interest were disclosed.
Acknowledgments
The author would like to acknowledge the Wells lab at the University of Pittsburgh for support of ongoing translational research in mesenchymal stem cells and wound healing. He would also like to acknowledge Dr Alejandro Soto-Gutierrez for the opportunity to compile this review.
Funding
This article was funded by NIH T32EB001026.