Evaluation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Encapsulated in Alginate Hydrogel for Wound Healing Products Applications

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus can cause serious health issues and is one of the most important challenges in medical systems globally. Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) affects more than ۲۵% of patients and causes a chronic wound that can lead to amputation or death. Normal wound healing normally takes ۴-۶ weeks to heal, but diabetic wound healing frequently takes longer and is left untreated, which mostly results in infection and amputation. The mesenchymal stem cells prove to be a potential treatment for chronic wounds because they are able to increase capillary blood circulation, angiogenesis, migration to the damaged area, differentiating into different cells and regulating the immune system. Since cells alone do not have much survival, a three-dimensional matrix that has the same conditions as the extracellular matrix (ECM) is needed for proper cell efficiency. Among the different types of these matrices, we can mention hydrogel matrices. Sodium alginate hydrogel provides a good structural matrix to support the cells. Materials and methods: In order to isolate mesenchymal stem cells from adipose tissue under liposuction, obtained adipose tissues were washed with PBS and digested with ۱% collagenase solution. Following incubation and centrifugation, the pellet was resuspended in culture media and transferred to the cell culture flask and incubated at ۳۷ °C. After passage number ۳, the cells were prepared to be encapsulated in alginate hydrogel scaffold. To synthesize the hydrogel, sodium alginate, calcium carbonate and Glucono delta-lactone were used. The cell viability was characterized by FDA/PI staining, MTT assay and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) on days ۱, ۳ and ۵.Results: The results of SEM showed that alginate hydrogel has a suitable porosity for entrapping mesenchymal stem cells. Also, the viability percentage of the cells inside the scaffold evaluated by FDA/PI staining on days ۱, ۳ and ۵ was ۹۴.۵%, ۹۸% and ۹۹.۵%, respectively. In accordance with previous results, the MTT assay also, indicated that the survival of cells inside the hydrogel has increased significantly.Conclusions: Alginate hydrogel proves its function as a structure for Ad-MSCs maintenance and their remarkable proliferation. Therefore, this scaffold is suggested as an effective biological dressing to be applied in wound healing.

Keywords:

wound healing , mesenchymal stem cells , alginate hydrogel