Bilayer Silk Fibroin/Sodium Alginate Scaffold Delivered Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells to Enhance Skin Scarless Healing and Hair Follicle Regeneration with the IRE1/XBP1 Pathway Inhibition
May 2023
in “
ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering
”
TLDR The scaffold helps wounds heal without scars and promotes hair growth.
The study developed a bilayer silk fibroin/sodium alginate (SF/SA) scaffold to deliver human umbilical mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) for enhanced wound healing. The scaffold mimics the epidermal and dermal structures, supporting cell survival and stemness. In vivo tests on full-thickness defect wounds showed that the scaffold-loaded hUC-MSCs (M-SF/SA) outperformed local injections of hUC-MSCs by promoting macrophage polarization, regulating TGF-β and collagen, enhancing vascular regeneration, and preventing scar formation while promoting hair follicle regeneration. The treatment also significantly inhibited endoplasmic reticulum stress markers IRE1, XBP1, and CHOP, making the SF/SA scaffold an effective platform for scarless skin healing and hair follicle regeneration.
