Basic Study
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2023. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Stem Cells. Jul 26, 2023; 15(7): 768-780
Published online Jul 26, 2023. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.v15.i7.768
Injectable hydrogel made from antler mesenchyme matrix for regenerative wound healing via creating a fetal-like niche
Guo-Kun Zhang, Jing Ren, Ji-Ping Li, Dong-Xu Wang, Sheng-Nan Wang, Li-Yan Shi, Chun-Yi Li
Guo-Kun Zhang, Jing Ren, Ji-Ping Li, Dong-Xu Wang, Sheng-Nan Wang, Chun-Yi Li, Institute of Antler Science and Product Technology, Changchun Sci-Tech University, Changchun 130600, Jilin Province, China
Jing Ren, Chun-Yi Li, College of Chinese Medicinal Materials, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, Jilin Province, China
Li-Yan Shi, China-Japan Union Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun 130033, Jilin Province, China
Author contributions: Li CY and Zhang GK designed and supervised the research; Zhang GK, Ren J, and Li JP performed the research and analyzed the data; Wang DX and Zhang GK contributed to animal experiments; Ren J contributed to histopathological experiments; Li JP and Wang SN contributed to cell experiments; Zhang GK, Shi LY, and Li CY wrote and edited the paper; and all authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Jilin Province, No. YDZJ202301ZYTS508; National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. U20A20403; Doctoral Research Start-Up Fund of Changchun Sci-Tech University, No. 202303; Young Scientific and Technological Talents Support Project of Jilin Province, No. QT202203; and Strategic Research and Consulting Project of Chinese Academy of Engineering, No. JL2022-05.
Institutional animal care and use committee statement: All procedures involving animals were reviewed and approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Changchun Sci-Tech University (Approval No. CKARI2020012).
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no competing interests.
Data sharing statement: No additional data are available.
ARRIVE guidelines statement: The authors have read the ARRIVE Guidelines, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the ARRIVE Guidelines.
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: Chun-Yi Li, PhD, Professor, Institute of Antler Science and Product Technology, Changchun Sci-Tech University, No. 1345 Pudong Road, Changchun 130600, Jilin Province, China. lichunyi1959@163.com
Received: April 28, 2023
Peer-review started: April 28, 2023
First decision: June 7, 2023
Revised: June 9, 2023
Accepted: July 11, 2023
Article in press: July 11, 2023
Published online: July 26, 2023
Processing time: 87 Days and 22.1 Hours
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
Research perspectives

It believes that hydrogels from the antler reserve mesenchyme matrix (HARM) may have clinical benefits for stimulating regenerative wound healing, especially those large cutaneous wounds caused by burns, scalds, or machinery.

Research conclusions

This study prepared a new injectable hydrogel from antler reserve mesenchyme (RM) for regenerative wound healing via creating a fetal-like niche.

Research results

HARM was successfully prepared from antler RM. Through a full-thickness rat model, it was found that HARM improved the regeneration of cutaneous appendages and blood vessels and reduced the aggregation of disorganized collagen fiber, which may be achieved via creating a fetal-like niche at the wound site.

Research methods

The HARM was prepared via enzymatic solubilization with pepsin. Then the therapeutic effects of HARM on a full-thickness cutaneous wound healing rat mode were investigated.

Research objectives

To develop an injectable hydrogel made from antler RM matrix for the regenerative repair of full-thickness cutaneous wounds, which may have clinical benefits for stimulating regenerative wound healing, especially those large cutaneous wounds caused by burns, scalds, or machinery.

Research motivation

Deer antlers are the only mammalian organ that can fully regenerate after being lost. Antler regeneration begins with regenerative healing of the wounds left after the previous antler casting. Studies show that this regenerative wound healing depends entirely on the adjacent pedicle periosteum (PP) or the PP-derived RM.

Research background

Scarring in wound healing is still a challenge in the clinic, where the goal is regeneration. Keeping the cells that regenerate the injured tissues in the optimum environment may be a practical approach to induce cutaneous regeneration and prevent abnormal scar formation. Although many approaches, such as synthetic hydrogels or extracellular matrix hydrogels, have been evaluated to improve the environment during wound healing, the outcomes have been unsatisfactory.