Oral ulcer treatment using human tonsil-derived mesenchymal stem cells encapsulated in trimethyl chitosan hydrogel: an animal model study.

BACKGROUND: Oral ulcers are a common side effect of chemotherapy and affect patients' quality of life. While stem cell transplantation is a potential treatment for oral ulcers, its efficacy is limited as the stem cells tend to remain in the affected area for a short time. This study aims to develop a treatment for oral ulcers by using trimethyl chitosan (TMC) hydrogel with human tonsil-derived stem cells (hTMSCs) to increase the therapeutic effect of stem cells and investigate their effectiveness. METHODS: Animals were divided into four experimental groups: Control, TMC hydrogel, hTMSCs, and hTMSCs loaded in TMC hydrogel (Hydrogel + hTMSCs) (each n = 8). Oral ulcers were chemically induced by anesthetizing the rats followed by injection of dilute acetic acid in the right buccal mucosa. After confirming the presence of oral ulcers in the animals, a single subcutaneous injection of 100 µL of each treatment was applied to the ulcer area. Histological analyses were performed to measure inflammatory cells, oral mucosal thickness, and fibrosis levels. The expression level of inflammatory cytokines was also measured using RT-PCR to gauge therapeutic the effect. RESULTS: The ulcer size was significantly reduced in the TMC hydrogel + hTMSCs group compared to the control group. The stem cells in the tissue were only observed until Day 3 in the hTMSCs treated group, while the injected stem cells in the TMC Hydrogel + hTMSCs group were still present until day 7. Cytokine analysis related to the inflammatory response in the tissue confirmed that the TMC Hydrogel + hTMSCs treated group demonstrated superior wound healing compared to other experimental groups. CONCLUSION: This study has shown that the adhesion and viability of current stem cell therapies can be resolved by utilizing a hydrogel prepared with TMC and combining it with hTMSCs. The combined treatment can promote rapid healing of oral cavity wounds by enhancing anti-inflammatory effects and expediting wound healing. Therefore, hTMSC loaded in TMC hydrogel was the most effective wound-healing approach among all four treatment groups prolonging stem cell survival. However, further research is necessary to minimize the initial inflammatory response of biomaterials and assess the safety and long-term effects for potential clinical applications.

Antiseptic, Hemostatic, and Wound Activity of Poly(vinylpyrrolidone)-Iodine Gel with Trimethyl Chitosan.

Wound management practices have made significant advancements, yet the search for improved antiseptics persists. In our pursuit of solutions that not only prevent infections but also address broader aspects of wound care, we investigated the impact of integrating trimethyl chitosan (TMC) into a widely used poly(vinylpyrrolidone)-iodine gel (PVP-I gel). Our study assessed the antimicrobial efficacy of the PVP gel with TMC against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, multidrug-resistant S. aureus MRSA, and Candida albicans. Additionally, we compared hemostatic effects using a liver puncture bleeding model and evaluated wound healing through histological sections from full-thickness dermal wounds in rats. The results indicate that incorporating TMC into the commercially available PVP-I gel did not compromise its antimicrobial activity. The incorporation of TMC into the PVP-I gel markedly improves its hemostatic activity. The regular application of the PVP-I gel with TMC resulted in an increased blood vessel count in the wound bed and facilitated the development of thicker fibrous tissue with a regenerated epidermal layer. These findings suggest that TMC contributes not only to antimicrobial activity but also to the intricate processes of tissue regeneration. In conclusion, incorporating TMC proves beneficial, making it a valuable additive to commercially available antiseptic agents.