Second-harmonic generation microscopy for assessment of mesenchymal stem cell-seeded acellular dermal matrix in wound-healing

Direct intra-skin injection of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and the use of biomaterial scaffolds for grafts are both promising approaches of skin wound repair, however they still cannot generate skin that completely resembles the natural skin structures. In this study, we combined these two approaches by using acellular dermal matrix (ADM) recellularized with MSCs to repair cutaneous wounds in a murine model and two-photon fluorescence (TPF) microscopy and second-harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy to assess the effects of this therapy on wound healing. Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) were tagged with GFP and seeded into ADM (ADM-MSC) via MSC and ADM co-culture. ADM-MSC, ADM or saline was applied to murine excisional skin wounds and wound-healing was evaluated by histological examination on days 7, 14, 21 and TFP microscopy on days 1, 3, 5 and 21 post-treatment. ADM-MSC promoted healing significantly more than treatment with ADM or saline alone, as it led to substantial neovascularization and complete skin appendage regeneration. Furthermore, the SHG microscopic imaging technique proved to be a useful tool for monitoring changes in the collagen network at the wound site during the healing process and assessing the effects of different therapies.