Bone marrow-derived versus adipose-derived stem cells in wound healing: value and route of administration

The stem cells with their distinct ability of self-renewal and differentiation are considered an innovation in wound healing. However, there is lack of studies comparing the differential effect of the type and administration route of stem cells in the wound healing context. Thus, the current study has been designed to elucidate the effect of two of the most important stem cell types—the bone marrow-derived and adipose-derived stem cells in full thickness wound healing—and to evaluate, in this optimized wound model, the effectiveness of intradermal versus intravenous routes using H&E, Masson’s trichrome, and PKH26-stained sections. It also evaluated the immunohistochemical expression of the stem cell-related surface markers—Ki67, CD71, CD146, CD90, and CD163—and also assessed the level of TNFα and gene expression of NF-κB as two important inflammatory markers. The study revealed that the adipose stem cell groups have shown statistically significant improvement in inflammation, granulation tissue re-organization, and collagen deposition relative to their bone marrow-treated counterparts. The intradermally treated adipose stem cell group, in particular, has demonstrated the most supreme features regarding the expression of the proliferation-related surface markers Ki67 and CD71 as well as in the expression of CD90 in keratinocytes and hair follicle dermal sheaths. The same group has shown the lowest level of TNFα and the best outcome in the parameters of neo-epidermal thickness, granulation tissue re-organization, and pattern of collagen deposition. The systemically treated wounds have displayed superior expression of CD146-positive endothelial cells and dermal fibroblasts as well as better expression of CD163+ macrophages.