Review
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Stem Cells. Apr 26, 2024; 16(4): 334-352
Published online Apr 26, 2024. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.v16.i4.334
Biological scaffold as potential platforms for stem cells: Current development and applications in wound healing
Jie-Yu Xiang, Lin Kang, Zi-Ming Li, Song-Lu Tseng, Li-Quan Wang, Tian-Hao Li, Zhu-Jun Li, Jiu-Zuo Huang, Nan-Ze Yu, Xiao Long
Jie-Yu Xiang, Zi-Ming Li, Song-Lu Tseng, Li-Quan Wang, Tian-Hao Li, Zhu-Jun Li, Jiu-Zuo Huang, Nan-Ze Yu, Xiao Long, Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
Lin Kang, Biomedical Engineering Facility, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100021, China
Author contributions: Xiang JY, Li ZM, Tseng SL, Wang LQ, Li TH, Li ZJ, Huang JZ, and Yu NZ collected the data; Xiang JY, Kang L, and Long X wrote the paper.
Supported by CAMS Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences, No. 2020-I2M-C&T-A-004; National High Level Hospital Clinical Research Funding, No. 2022-PUMCH-A-210, No. 2022-PUMCH-B-041, and No. 2022-PUMCH-C-025; and National Key R&D Program of China, No. 2020YFE0201600.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Xiao Long, MD, PhD, Chief Physician, Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, No. 1 Shuaifuyuan, Wangfujing, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100730, China. pumclongxiao@126.com
Received: December 4, 2023
Peer-review started: December 4, 2023
First decision: January 30, 2024
Revised: February 20, 2024
Accepted: March 12, 2024
Article in press: March 12, 2024
Published online: April 26, 2024
Abstract

Wound repair is a complex challenge for both clinical practitioners and researchers. Conventional approaches for wound repair have several limitations. Stem cell-based therapy has emerged as a novel strategy to address this issue, exhibiting significant potential for enhancing wound healing rates, improving wound quality, and promoting skin regeneration. However, the use of stem cells in skin regeneration presents several challenges. Recently, stem cells and biomaterials have been identified as crucial components of the wound-healing process. Combination therapy involving the development of biocompatible scaffolds, accompanying cells, multiple biological factors, and structures resembling the natural extracellular matrix (ECM) has gained considerable attention. Biological scaffolds encompass a range of biomaterials that serve as platforms for seeding stem cells, providing them with an environment conducive to growth, similar to that of the ECM. These scaffolds facilitate the delivery and application of stem cells for tissue regeneration and wound healing. This article provides a comprehensive review of the current developments and applications of biological scaffolds for stem cells in wound healing, emphasizing their capacity to facilitate stem cell adhesion, proliferation, differentiation, and paracrine functions. Additionally, we identify the pivotal characteristics of the scaffolds that contribute to enhanced cellular activity.

Keywords: Stem-cell-based therapy, Biological scaffolds, Wound healing, Extracellular matrix mimicry, Cellular activities enhancement, Scaffold characteristics

Core Tip: In this work, we provided a comprehensive review of the current development and application of biological scaffolds for stem cells in wound healing, emphasizes the scaffolds’ capacity to facilitate stem cell adhesion, proliferation, differentiation, and paracrine function, identifies the pivotal characteristics of scaffolds that contribute to enhanced cellular activities.