A novel hydrogel loaded with plant exosomes and stem cell exosomes as a new strategy for treating diabetic wounds

Bibliographic Details
Title: A novel hydrogel loaded with plant exosomes and stem cell exosomes as a new strategy for treating diabetic wounds
Authors: Jialu Weng, Yizhang Chen, Yuhan Zeng, Wenzhang Jin, Ying Ji, Wa Zhang, Shunfu Wang, Haobing Li, Meilin Yi, Xiaoying Niu, Xuchen Deng, Jiancheng Huang, Xiang Su, Lulu Chen
Source: Materials Today Bio, Vol 32, Iss , Pp 101810- (2025)
Publisher Information: Elsevier, 2025.
Publication Year: 2025
Collection: LCC:Medicine (General)
LCC:Biology (General)
Subject Terms: Momordica charantia, Mesenchymal stem cell, Exosomes, Hydrogel, Diabetic wounds, Medicine (General), R5-920, Biology (General), QH301-705.5
More Details: Diabetic wound healing is constrained by various factors, including chronic inflammation, sustained oxidative stress, impaired angiogenesis, and abnormal wound microenvironments. Exosomes derived from mesenchymal stem cells (MSC-exo) contain a wealth of bioactive substances that play a positive role in promoting diabetic wound healing. Plant-derived exosomes, as a novel therapeutic approach, are continuously being explored. Momordica charantia (MC) has been shown to possess blood glucose-lowering effects, and its exosomes are of significant relevance for treating diabetic wounds. However, direct application of exosomes to wounds faces challenges such as poor stability and short retention time, limiting their therapeutic effectiveness and clinical applicability. Encapsulating exosomes in hydrogels is an effective strategy to preserve their bioactivity. In this study, we fabricated a hydrogel loaded with MSC-exo and MC exosomes (MC-exo) by photopolymerization of methacrylated gelatin (GelMA) and dopamine (MEMC-Gel). The resulting MEMC-Gel exhibited favorable mechanical properties, adhesion, degradability, absorbency, and biocompatibility. In vitro, MEMC-Gel demonstrated the ability to resist inflammation, counter oxidative stress, promote fibroblast migration, support endothelial cell angiogenesis, and regulate macrophage polarization. In a diabetic mouse wound model, MEMC-Gel accelerated wound healing by inhibiting inflammation and oxidative stress, modulating macrophage immune responses and hyperglycemia within the microenvironment, promoting angiogenesis, and enhancing epithelialization. In conclusion, MEMC-Gel is an outstanding hydrogel dressing that synergistically promotes repair by loading MSC-exo and MC-exo, significantly accelerating diabetic wound healing through multiple mechanisms. This multifunctional hydrogel, based on exosomes from two different sources, provides an innovative therapeutic strategy for diabetic wound repair with broad clinical application potential.
Document Type: article
File Description: electronic resource
Language: English
ISSN: 2590-0064
Relation: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590006425003709; https://doaj.org/toc/2590-0064
DOI: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2025.101810
Access URL: https://doaj.org/article/8cf4576f404b487f811e036ad2341a4e
Accession Number: edsdoj.8cf4576f404b487f811e036ad2341a4e
Database: Directory of Open Access Journals
More Details
ISSN:25900064
DOI:10.1016/j.mtbio.2025.101810
Published in:Materials Today Bio
Language:English