Stem cell and tissue engineering approaches in pressure ulcer treatment

Pressure ulcers, or injuries, are localized damage to the skin and underlying tissue, often occurring over bony prominences due to prolonged pressure, shear, and friction forces. Traditional treatments include dressings, debridement, and surgery, but advanced therapies like gene therapy, somatic cell therapy, and tissue engineering offer new healing options. Somatic cell therapy and tissue engineering, alone or combined, represent promising avenues for improving pressure ulcer treatment, especially for those difficult to treat with conventional methods.

• 1
  Adipose-derived stem cells (ASC) promote pressure ulcer healing by promoting adipogenic differentiation and regeneration of the skin's architecture in both young and old mice.
• 2
  Bone marrow mononuclear cells (BM-MNC) show promise in treating grade 4 pressure ulcers in patients with spinal cord injury, potentially avoiding major surgical intervention and showing high healing rates.
• 3
  Tissue-engineered scaffolds, especially those made from natural materials like chitosan and hyaluronic acid, can promote wound closure, angiogenesis, and tissue regeneration in pressure ulcers.