Collaborative Enhancement of Diabetic Wound Healing and Skin Regeneration by Recombinant Human Collagen Hydrogel and hADSCs

Stem cell-based therapies hold significant promise for chronic wound healing and skin appendages regeneration, but challenges such as limited stem cell lifespan and poor biocompatibility of delivery systems hinder clinical application. In this study, an in situ delivery system for human adipose-derived stem cells is developed (hADSCs) to enhance diabetic wound healing. The system utilizes a photo-crosslinking recombinant human type III collagen (rHCIII) hydrogel to encapsulate hADSCs, termed the hADSCs@rHCIII hydrogel. This hydrogel undergoes local crosslinking at the wound site, establishing a sturdy 3D niche suitable for stem cell function. Consequently, the encapsulated hADSCs exhibit strong attachment and spreading within the hydrogels, maintaining their proliferation, metabolic activity, and viability for up to three weeks in vitro. Importantly, in vivo studies demonstrate that the hADSCs@rHCIII hydrogel achieves significant in situ delivery of stem cells, prolonging their retention within the wound. This ultimately enhances their immunomodulatory capabilities, promotes neovascularization and granulation tissue formation, facilitates matrix remodeling, and accelerates healing in a diabetic mouse wound model. Collectively, these findings highlight the potential of the conveniently-prepared and user-friendly hADSCs@rHCIII hydrogel as a promising therapeutic approach for diabetic wound treatment and in situ skin regeneration.