Fabricating Composite Cell Sheets for Wound Healing: Cell Sheets Based on the Communication Between BMSCs and HFSCs Facilitate Full-Thickness Cutaneous Wound Healing

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND@#Insufficient angiogenesis and the lack of skin appendages are critical challenges in cutaneous wound healing. Stem cell-fabricated cell sheets have become a promising strategy, but cell sheets constructed by a single cell type are inadequate to provide a comprehensive proregenerative microenvironment for wound tissue. @*METHODS@#Based on the communication between cells, in this study, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs) were cocultured to fabricate a composite cell sheet (H/M–CS) for the treatment of fullthickness skin wounds in mice. @*RESULTS@#Experiments confirmed that there is cell–cell communication between BMSCs and HFSCs, which enhances the cell proliferation and migration abilities of both cell types. Cell–cell talk also upregulates the gene expression of proangiogenic-related cytokines in BMSCs and pro-hair follicle-related cytokines in HFSCs, as well as causing changes in the properties of secreted extracellular matrix components. @*CONCLUSIONS@#Therefore, the composite cell sheet is more conducive for cutaneous wound healing and promoting the regeneration of blood vessels and hair follicles.