Injectable Silk Nanofiber Hydrogels as Stem Cell Carriers to Accelerate Wound Healing

In 2021, researchers developed an injectable silk nanofiber hydrogel to serve as a carrier for bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) to enhance wound healing. The hydrogel provided a supportive environment for the growth and survival of stem cells, maintaining over 95% viability for at least 3 days. The hydrogel-stem cell combination significantly accelerated wound closure in a mouse model, improved collagen deposition, and promoted hair follicle regeneration. The hydrogels also increased the expression of wound healing-associated cytokines ANGPT-1 and HGF, while decreasing the expression of SDF-1 and VEGF-α. The study concluded that these silk nanofiber hydrogels were effective carriers for stem cells to accelerate wound healing, suggesting potential for further study in skin regeneration.