Tendon dECM Composited with Chitosan with Loading Skin Precursor Stem Cell Exosome for Enhanced Diabetic Wound...

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Regenerative Medicine
• Wound Healing

Background:

• Diabetic wounds exhibit delayed healing due to inflammation and impaired cellular function.
• Exosomes show therapeutic potential but suffer from rapid in vivo clearance.
• A novel delivery system is needed to enhance exosome efficacy for diabetic wound treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To engineer a decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM)-based hydrogel for localized delivery of skin-derived precursor cell (SKP) exosomes.
• To evaluate the pro-angiogenic, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties of the exosome-loaded hydrogel in vitro.
• To assess the therapeutic efficacy of the composite hydrogel in accelerating diabetic wound closure in vivo.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a dECM-based hydrogel functionalized with SKP-derived exosomes.
• In vitro assessment of endothelial cell proliferation, migration, tube formation, antibacterial activity, ROS scavenging, and macrophage polarization.
• In vivo evaluation using a streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat wound model, including histological and immunohistochemical analyses.

Main Results:

• The composite hydrogels demonstrated significant pro-angiogenic effects in vitro.
• Hydrogels exhibited antibacterial properties and potent reactive oxygen species (ROS)-scavenging capacity.
• In vivo studies showed accelerated wound closure, enhanced angiogenesis (CD31+ microvessels), improved collagen deposition, and M2 macrophage polarization.

Conclusions:

• The engineered SKP exosome-loaded dECM hydrogel serves as an effective local delivery platform for wound healing.
• This biomimetic scaffold promotes angiogenesis, reduces inflammation, and accelerates diabetic wound closure.
• The developed composite hydrogels represent a promising therapeutic strategy for managing diabetic wounds.