Plasma-Based Scaffold Containing Bone-Marrow Mononuclear Cells Promotes Wound Healing in a Mouse Model of Pressure Injury

Abstract

Pressure injuries, or pressure ulcers, are a common problem that may lead to infections and major complications, besides being a social and economic burden due to the costs of treatment and hospitalization. While surgery is sometimes necessary, this also has complications such as recurrence or wound dehiscence. Among the newer methods of pressure injury treatment, advanced therapies are an interesting option. This study examines the healing properties of bone marrow mononuclear cells (BM-MNCs) embedded in a plasma-based scaffold in a mouse model. Pressure ulcers were created on the backs of mice (2 per mouse) using magnets and assigned to a group of ulcers that were left untreated (Control, n = 15), treated with plasma scaffold (Plasma, n = 15), or treated with plasma scaffold containing BM-MNC (Plasma + BM-MNC, n = 15). Each group was examined at three time points (3, 7, and 14 days) after the onset of treatment. At each time point, animals were subjected to biometric assessment, bioluminescence imaging, and tomography. Once treatment had finished, skin biopsies were processed for histological and wound healing reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) array studies. While wound closure percentages were higher in the Plasma and Plasma + BM-MNC groups, differences were not significant, and thus descriptive data are provided. In all individuals, the presence of donor cells was revealed by immunohistochemistry on posttreatment onset Days 3, 7, and 14. In the Plasma + BM-MNC group, less inflammation was observed by positron emission tomography–computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging of the mice at 7 days, and a complete morphometabolic response was produced at 14 days, in accordance with histological results. A much more pronounced inflammatory process was observed in controls than in the other two groups, and this persisted until Day 14 after treatment onset. RT-PCR array gene expression patterns were also found to vary significantly, with the greatest difference noted between both treatments at 14 days when 11 genes were differentially expressed.