Biomimetic scaffolds loaded with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) or MSC-derived exosomes for enhanced wound healing

Abstract

Since wound healing is one of the most important medical challenges and common dressings have not been able to manage this challenge well today, efforts have been increased to achieve an advanced dressing. Mesenchymal stem cells and exosomes derived from them have shown high potential in healing and regenerating wounds due to their immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, immunosuppressive, and high regenerative capacities. However, challenges such as the short life of these cells, the low durability of these cells in the wound area, and the low stability of exosomes derived from them have resulted in limitations in their use for wound healing. Nowadays, different scaffolds are considered suitable biomaterials for wound healing. These scaffolds are made of natural or synthetic polymers and have shown promising potential for an ideal dressing that does not have the disadvantages of common dressings. One of the strategies that has attracted much attention today is using these scaffolds for seeding and delivering MSCs and their exosomes. This combined strategy has shown a high potential in enhancing the shelf life of cells and increasing the stability of exosomes. In this review, the combination of different scaffolds with different MSCs or their exosomes for wound healing has been comprehensively discussed.

Keywords: Exosome; Mesenchymal stem cell; Scaffold; Tissue engineering; Wound healing.

Fig. 1

The overview of wound healing phases. This figure illustrates the various biological changes that occurred at each phase, including hemostasis (a), inflammation (b), proliferation (c), and remodeling (d). Timeframe approximation for the wound healing phases is also shown (e)

Fig. 2

This schematic illustrates the benefits and characteristics of different types of scaffolds. It’s important to note that the porous scaffold and the hydrogel scaffold are represented as models of the four mentioned scaffolds, and some of the same characteristics can be attributed to the other two types of scaffolds, including nanofiber scaffolds and 3D printed scaffolds

Fig. 3

How exosome is formed and its possible interaction with target cells is given in this schematic. Also, the possible benefits of using scaffolds for exosome delivery have been shown

Fig. 4

Main reported roles of biomimetic scaffolds loaded with MSCs or MSCs-derived exosomes in different cutaneous wound healing. It’s important to note that the porous scaffold and the hydrogel scaffold are represented as models of the four mentioned scaffolds