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Updated: Oct 3, 2025

Prospective, Randomized, and Controlled Study of a Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cell Injection for Treating Diabetic Foot Ulcers
Published on: March 3, 2023
Exosomes Derived from Epidermal Stem Cells Improve Diabetic Wound Healing
Peng Wang1, Georgios Theocharidis2, Ioannis S Vlachos3
1Joslin-Beth Israel Deaconess Foot Center, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Beth Israel Lahey Health, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Rongxiang Xu, MD, Center for Regenerative Therapeutics, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Beth Israel Lahey Health, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Burn Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Epidermal stem cells and their exosomes effectively heal diabetic foot ulcers by reducing inflammation and promoting cell growth. Exosome therapy offers a promising alternative to traditional stem cell treatments for diabetic wound healing.
Area of Science:
- Regenerative Medicine
- Cell Biology
- Wound Healing Research
Background:
- Diabetic foot ulceration is a severe complication of diabetes with limited treatment options.
- Impaired wound healing in diabetes necessitates novel therapeutic strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of epidermal stem cells (ESCs) and ESCs-derived exosomes (ESCs-Exo) in treating diabetic wound healing.
- To elucidate the underlying mechanisms of action for ESCs-Exo in promoting diabetic wound repair.
Main Methods:
- In vitro studies assessed the effects of ESCs-Exo on diabetic fibroblasts and macrophages.
- In vivo experiments utilized db/db mice models to evaluate wound healing progression.
- Multiplex protein quantification and high-throughput small RNA sequencing analyzed molecular changes.
Main Results:
- ESCs-Exo enhanced diabetic fibroblast and macrophage proliferation, migration, and M2 polarization in vitro.
- Both ESCs and ESCs-Exo accelerated wound healing in db/db mice by reducing inflammation, increasing cell proliferation, and promoting angiogenesis.
- ESCs-Exo treatment modulated TGFβ signaling and contained microRNAs involved in homeostasis and cell differentiation.
Conclusions:
- Epidermal stem cells and ESCs-derived exosomes demonstrate comparable efficacy in promoting diabetic wound healing.
- ESCs-Exo represent a potentially advantageous and effective alternative to stem cell therapy for diabetic complications.
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