Adipose-Derived Stem Cells to Facilitate Ulcer Healing: Future Strategies

Digital ulcers are a rather frequent and invalidating complication in systemic sclerosis, often showing a very slow or null tendency to heal, in spite of the commonly used systemic and local therapeutic procedures. Recently, stem cell therapy has emerged as a new approach to accelerate wound healing. Multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells are considered an attractive candidate for cell-based therapies because of their immunomodulatory, angiogenic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic effects. Mesenchymal cells from the bone marrow have been first extensively characterized. Adipose tissue represents an additional abundant and accessible source of stem cells. At present, adipose-derived stem cells are one of the most attractive and promising sources of adult stem cells for cell therapy, finding a field of application in the treatment of scleroderma skin lesions, including digital ulcers.