Therapeutic role of mesenchymal stem cells and platelet-rich plasma on skin burn healing and rejuvenation: A focus on scar regulation, oxido-inflammatory stress and apoptotic mechanisms

Bakinam M H Tammam; Ola A Habotta; Manal El-Khadragy; Ahmed E Abdel Moneim; Mohga S Abdalla

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e19452

Therapeutic role of mesenchymal stem cells and platelet-rich plasma on skin burn healing and rejuvenation: A focus on scar regulation, oxido-inflammatory stress and apoptotic mechanisms

Heliyon. 2023 Aug 24;9(9):e19452. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e19452. eCollection 2023 Sep.

Authors

Bakinam M H Tammam¹, Ola A Habotta², Manal El-Khadragy³, Ahmed E Abdel Moneim⁴, Mohga S Abdalla¹

Affiliations

¹ Chemistry Department, Molecular biotechnology Division, Faculty of Science, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt.
² Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.
³ Biology Department, Faculty of Science, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia.
⁴ Zoology and Entomology Department, Faculty of Science, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt.

Abstract

Cell-based therapies have great promise in accelerating and improving burn wound healing. It is a growing need to scale their competence to meet the clinical demands. In this study, the bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) were tested on the repair of induced burn wounds in a murine model. After the induction of thermal injury, rats were injected with BMSCs and/or PRP in the burn area. After 4 weeks of post-burn, our findings revealed that local treatment of burnt skin with BMSCs and/or PRP offered substantial outcomes when compared with the untreated group. Injected burn with BMSCs and/or PRP enhanced the wound contraction rate and decreased the burn area and period of epithelization. Significant increases in VEGF together with declines in MMP-9 and TGF-β1 were observed in burnt areas after being treated with BMSCs and/or PRP therapy that indicated improved angiogenesis, and re-epithelization. Furthermore, both MSCs and PRP modulated the burn's oxidative and inflammatory microenvironment as indicated by increases in SOD, CAT, and GSH besides declines in MDA, IL-6, TNF-α, NF-κB, NO, and iNOS. Notable increases in Bcl-2 levels and decreases in Cas-3 and Bax levels were recorded in burnt skin that received both agents concomitantly. Interestingly, the histopathological examination validates the healing power of BMSCs and/or PRP. Collectively, BMSCs and PRP have pioneered therapeutics candidates for clinical application in burn healing possibly via antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic mechanisms along with regulating angiogenesis and scar formation.

Keywords: Angiogenesis; Burn healing; Mesenchymal stem cells; Oxidative stress and inflammation; Platelet-rich plasma; Re-epithelialization.