Fibrous Scaffolds Potentiate the Paracrine Function of Mesenchymal Stem Cells: A New Dimension in Cell-Material Interaction

The study explored the impact of fibrous scaffold topography on the paracrine functions of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (Ad-MSCs). It was discovered that scaffolds with different fiber orientations significantly increased the secretion of anti-inflammatory and pro-angiogenic cytokines by Ad-MSCs. The study demonstrated that the conditioned medium from Ad-MSCs cultured on these scaffolds had beneficial effects on endothelial cells and macrophages, and improved wound healing in a rat model. The in vitro assays involved 4 to 6 samples, while the in vivo wound healing experiments used 8 samples. The findings suggest that scaffold topography can be a critical factor in enhancing the therapeutic potential of MSCs for tissue repair and regeneration.