Mesenchymal stem cells enhance wound healing through differentiation and angiogenesis

Stem Cells. 2007 Oct;25(10):2648-59. doi: 10.1634/stemcells.2007-0226. Epub 2007 Jul 5.

Abstract

Although chronic wounds are common, treatment for these disabling conditions remains limited and largely ineffective. In this study, we examined the benefit of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) in wound healing. Using an excisional wound splinting model, we showed that injection around the wound and application to the wound bed of green fluorescence protein (GFP)(+) allogeneic BM-MSCs significantly enhanced wound healing in normal and diabetic mice compared with that of allogeneic neonatal dermal fibroblasts or vehicle control medium. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis of cells derived from the wound for GFP-expressing BM-MSCs indicated engraftments of 27% at 7 days, 7.6% at 14 days, and 2.5% at 28 days of total BM-MSCs administered. BM-MSC-treated wounds exhibited significantly accelerated wound closure, with increased re-epithelialization, cellularity, and angiogenesis. Notably, BM-MSCs, but not CD34(+) bone marrow cells in the wound, expressed the keratinocyte-specific protein keratin and formed glandular structures, suggesting a direct contribution of BM-MSCs to cutaneous regeneration. Moreover, BM-MSC-conditioned medium promoted endothelial cell tube formation. Real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis revealed high levels of vascular endothelial growth factor and angiopoietin-1 in BM-MSCs and significantly greater amounts of the proteins in BM-MSC-treated wounds. Thus, our data suggest that BM-MSCs promote wound healing through differentiation and release of proangiogenic factors. Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Angiogenic Proteins / biosynthesis
  • Angiogenic Proteins / genetics
  • Animals
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / complications
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / genetics
  • Female
  • Fibroblasts / transplantation
  • Genes, Reporter
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / analysis
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / genetics
  • Keratins / biosynthesis
  • Keratins / genetics
  • Male
  • Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation*
  • Mesenchymal Stem Cells / physiology*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred Strains
  • Mice, Mutant Strains
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Neovascularization, Physiologic / physiology*
  • Random Allocation
  • Skin / injuries
  • Skin / pathology
  • Transplantation, Homologous
  • Wound Healing / physiology*
  • Wounds and Injuries / pathology
  • Wounds and Injuries / therapy*

Substances

  • Angiogenic Proteins
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • Keratins