Alginate-Based Hydrogels with Amniotic Membrane Stem Cells for Wound Dressing Application

Chronic wounds are a common clinical problem that necessitate the exploration of novel regenerative therapies. We report a method to investigate the in vitro wound healing capacity of an innovative biomaterial, which is based on amniotic membrane-derived stem cells (AMSCs) embedded in an alginate hydrogel matrix. The aim of this study was to prepare an sodium alginate-based hydrogel, cross-linked calcium chloride (CaCl₂₎ with the active ingredient AMSC (AMSC/Alg-H) and to evaluate its in vitro effectiveness for wound closure.

This hydrogel preparation involved combining sterile solutions of AMSC, sodium alginate, and CaCl_2, followed by rinsing with serum-free media. The cells were cultured in different 6-well plates, namely sodium alginate, calcium chloride, AMSC, Alg-H, and AMSC/Alg-H, in complete medium with 10% FBS. The hydrogel was successfully formulated, as confirmed by characterization techniques including Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Cytotoxicity Studies, TGF-β1 Level Measurement by ELISA, and Cell Scratch Wound Assay.

Cryo-EM characterization of the Alg-H preparation successfully demonstrated the encapsulation of MSCs. FTIR and DSC analyses indicate that crosslinking transpires in Alg-H encapsulating AMSC. The AMSC/Alg-H preparation showed no significant difference in toxicity compared to HaCaT cells (p < 0.05), indicating it was not toxic to HaCaT cells. Furthermore, in the scratch wound assay test at 24 hours, the AMSC/Alg-H preparation achieved 100% wound closure, outperforming both AMSC and Alg-H alone. In vitro assessment revealed that AMSC/Alg-H significantly enhanced key wound healing processes, including cell proliferation and migration, compared to Alg-H.

Our study demonstrated the promising potential of AMSC/Alg-H as an enhanced regenerative therapy for in vitro wound healing. AMSC/Alg-H was able to maintain the viability of AMSCs and facilitate the formation of tissue-like structures.