Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 30, 2025
Constructing a Collagen Hydrogel for the Delivery of Stem Cell-loaded Chitosan Microspheres
Published on: June 1, 2012
Recombinant human collagen I/carboxymethyl chitosan hydrogel loaded with long-term released hUCMSCs derived exosomes
Qiong Wu1, Yayuan Guo2, Hongwei Li3
1The First Affiliated Hospital of Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province 710069, PR China; Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Modern Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province 710069, PR China.
Background:
Stem cell exosomes are beneficial in accelerating wound repair. However, the therapeutic function is limited due to its rapid clearance in vivo. To improve the functionality of exosomes in cutaneous wound healing, a novel hydrogel was designed and fabricated by recombinant human collagen I and carboxymethyl chitosan loaded with exosomes derived from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs), named as the rhCol I/CMC-Exos hydrogel.
Methods:
Exosomes were extracted from hUCMSCs and were characterizated by TEM (Transmission Electron Microscopy), and biomarker detection. The rhCol I hydrogel, rhCol I/carboxymethyl chitosan (rhCol I/CMC) hydrogel and the rhCol I/CMC-Exos hydrogel composites were cross-linked by genipin. These materials were assessed and compared for their physical characteristics, including cross-sectional morphology, porosity, pore distribution, and hydrophilicity. Cell biocompatibility on biomaterials was investigated using scanning electron microscopy and CFDA staining, as well as assessed in vivo through histological examination of major organs in mice. Effects of the hydrogel composite on wound healing were further evaluated by using the full-thickness skin defect mice model.
Results:
Successful extraction of hUCMSCs-derived exosomes was confirmed by TEM，Western Blotting and flow cytometry. The synthesized rhCol I/CMC-Exos hydrogel composite exhibited cytocompatibility and promoted cell growth in vitro. The rhCol I/CMC-Exos hydrogel showed sustained release of exosomes. In the mice full skin-defects model, the rhCol I/CMC-Exos-treated group showed superior wound healing efficiency, with 15 % faster wound closure compared to controls. Histological examinations revealed thicker dermis formation and more balanced collagen deposition in wounds treated with rhCol I/CMC-Exos hydrogel. Mechanistically, the application of rhCol I/CMC-Exos hydrogel increased fibroblasts proliferation, alleviated inflammation responses as well as promoted angiogenesis, thereby was beneficial in promoting skin wound healing and regeneration.
Conclusion:
Our study, for the first time, introduced recombinant human Collagen I in fabricating a novel hydrogel loaded with hUCMSCs-derived exosomes, which effectively promoted skin wound closure and regeneration, demonstrating a great potential in severe skin wound healing treatment.
More Related Videos
10:49Doxycycline Loaded Collagen-Chitosan Composite Scaffold for the Accelerated Healing of Diabetic Wounds
Published on: August 21, 2021
08:43Recombinant Collagen I Peptide Microcarriers for Cell Expansion and Their Potential Use As Cell Delivery System in a Bioreactor Model
Published on: February 7, 2018
