Dose response analysis of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells for treatment in fascial wound repair

Abstract

The use of biological products such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has become an incredibly promising and advantageous product in modern regenerative therapeutics. The occurrence of incisional herniation following invasive abdominal surgeries remains a particularly complicating issue in post-surgery recovery with about 10% of patients experiencing herniation following laparotomy (Bucknall et al., 1982). This study aims to provide a cell-based therapy for the treatment of surgical wounds and enhance healing. Using a rat model, bone marrow-derived MSCs (BM-MSCs), PRP, and a collagen scaffold (CollaTape) are applied to the surgical site following an abdominal laparotomy. The rats were allowed to heal for 4 weeks before tissue samples of the wound site were harvested to analyze wound characteristics. Histological examination of wound sites treated with BM-MSCs indicates important information for differences in specific events involved in the wound healing process including collagen deposition, connective tissue organization, and muscle regeneration. It was found that applying PRP and CollaTape to the abdominal incisions was able to increase collagen abundance and stimulate new muscle growth. The application of MSCs to the injury was able to further enhance the deposition of organized collagen fibers in a dose-dependent manner. Additionally, characteristics of the BM-MSCs, including their ability to differentiate into chondrogenic, adipogenic, and osteogenic cell lineages was performed in order to exhibit their stem potential.