Stem Cell-Based Therapy for Wounds

Stem cells offer noteworthy prospects giving both undifferentiated and separated cells for gene therapy, drug discovery, and regenerative medicine. Wound repair is a composite process and is impacted by various factors, including cytokines, chemokines, and development factors. Hypothetically, utilization of stem cells to wounds is valuable, because it has a remarkable component of interfacing with wound condition and adjusts their movement to discharge different variables, which encourage wound recovering process.

1. Embryonic Stem Cells (ESCs)

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are pluripotent in nature which reside within the blastocyst. These cells have a potential to differentiate into any of the three primary germ layers namely endoderm, mesoderm, or ectoderm. These cells can be differentiated into keratinocytes in presence of selected medium containing specific growth factors. These keratinocytes are capable of forming multilayered epidermis in culture, making them a key cell type for bioengineered skin.

2. Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs)

These cells have the multipotent cells with self-renewal properties, which are from differentiated adult somatic cells, such as fibroblasts and keratinocytes, using transcription factors. The unique aspect of iPSC technology made it possible to generate genetically diverse patient-specific cell lines from genetic skin disorders or chronic wounds which have tremendous potential for disease modeling and drug screening. The capacity with limited immunoreactivity of iPSCs makes them a prospective agent for treating chronic skin disorders and unresolved wounds. Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells generated from patients also could be modified and have the potential for cell therapy. Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells can also provide a foundation for modeling a complex human organ like skin tissue due to their ability to be differentiated into multiple cell types in the body, and their unlimited growth potential was also demonstrated in various in vivo models. Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells therefore hold a great promise in the field of wound repair and regenerative medicine.

3. Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs)

These Stem cells are adult stem cells capable of self-renewal and multipotential differentiation. MSCs can be obtained from the bone marrow and other tissues such as adipose tissue, nerve tissue, umbilical cord blood, and dermis with phenotypic heterogeneity .MSCs have been tested for skin repair and regeneration in various acute and chronic skin injuries like acute incisional and excisional wounds, diabetic skin ulcers, radiation, and thermal burns. Inflammation and oxidative stress generated during wound healing not only attract bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells at the wound area and conducive to self-renewal and proliferation but also support wound healing through differentiation and the promotion of blood vessel formation. MSC therapy has shown enhanced wound healing through increased angiogenesis, reepithelialization, and tissue granulation.

4. Adipose-Derived Stem Cells

These Stem are the precursor cells that are present within the stromal-vascular fraction of an enzymatically digested fat tissue. These stem cells more attractive for regenerative medicine. ASCs are multipotent in nature and can be differentiated into different lineages such as bone, fat, cartilage, and muscle. ASCs can be distinguished from the bone marrow. The ability of ASCs to secrete growth factors, to differentiate into multiple cell types, and to promote angiogenesis renders them a viable skin substitute .The capability of ASCs for soft tissue reconstruction makes them attractive for wound healing.