title: Mesenchymal stem cells for chronic wounds therapy.
abstract: Wound healing is a complex process that involves interaction of soluble mediators, extracellular matrix and infiltrating blood cells. Chronic and non-healing skin defects contribute significantly to morbidity and mortality of many patients. Recently, despite the current medical progress, the chronic and non-healing wounds still represent a serious medical problem. In many cases, conventional therapeutic approaches, such as dermal substitutes and growth factor therapy failed and do not produce the expected results, patients are exposed to a high risk of infection, sepsis or amputation. For that reason clinicians and researchers are forced to searching for alternative methods to induce healing process which may result into complete wound closure. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) represent a unique tool of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine and a promising therapeutic strategy. Due to their unique biological properties, MSCs seem to be the perspective modality method for these patients. Many preclinical and clinical studies suggest the possibility of using these cells in tissue regeneration, healing acute and chronic wounds and scar remodelling. The objective of the present review is to summarize the current information and preclinical data about MSCs, their biological characteristics and mode of action during regenerative and healing processes, as well as their clinical application in chronic wounds treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Burns and Reconstructive Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Pazitkova 4, 821 01, Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zahorec
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Koller
authors.forename: Lubos
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Danisovic
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bohac
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006801:Humans; D045164:Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000628:therapy*