Human Adipose-Derived Stem Cells Promote Seawater-Immersed Wound Healing by Activating Skin Stem Cells via the EGFR/MEK/ERK Pathway

Jiachao Xiong; Boyao Ji; Liujun Wang; Yazhou Yan; Zhixiao Liu; Shuo Fang; Minjuan Wu; Yue Wang; Jianxing Song

doi:10.1155/2019/7135974

Human Adipose-Derived Stem Cells Promote Seawater-Immersed Wound Healing by Activating Skin Stem Cells via the EGFR/MEK/ERK Pathway

Stem Cells Int. 2019 Dec 31:2019:7135974. doi: 10.1155/2019/7135974. eCollection 2019.

Authors

Jiachao Xiong¹, Boyao Ji², Liujun Wang^{2

3}, Yazhou Yan⁴, Zhixiao Liu^{2

3}, Shuo Fang¹, Minjuan Wu^{2

3}, Yue Wang^{2

3}, Jianxing Song¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Plastic Surgery, Changhai Hospital, Naval Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China.
² Department of Histology and Embryology, Naval Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China.
³ Shanghai Key Laboratory of Cell Engineering, Shanghai, China.
⁴ Department of Neurosurgery, Changhai Hospital, Naval Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China.

Abstract

Seawater (SW) immersion can increase the damage of skin wounds and produce refractory wounds. However, few studies have been conducted to investigate the mechanisms of SW immersion on skin wounds. In our current study, we investigated the effect of human adipose-derived stem cells (hADSCs) on the repair of SW-treated full-thickness skin wounds and the underlying mechanisms. The results showed that SW immersion could reduce the expression of EGF and suppress the activation of the MEK/ERK signaling pathway. At the same time, the proliferation and migration of skin stem cells were inhibited by SW immersion, resulting in delayed wound healing. However, hADSCs significantly accelerated the healing of SW-immersed skin wounds by promoting cell proliferation and migration through the aforementioned mechanisms. Our results indicate a role for hADSCs in the repair of seawater-immersed skin wounds and suggest a potential novel treatment strategy for seawater-immersed wound healing.