2026/01/01 by Guiyan Mao, Zixuan Yu, Anji Chen +5 · 1 voice
Medicine · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Health Professions · #Wound Healing and Treatments #Extracellular vesicles in disease #Pressure Ulcer Prevention and Management
paper · doi:10.1515/epoly-2025-0086
openalex publication_date 2026/01/01 · openalex created_date 2026/07/21 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/21
Abstract Chronic wounds represent a significant clinical challenge, characterized by persistent infection, inadequate angiogenesis, and impaired tissue regeneration. To address these issues holistically, we developed a multifunctional hydrogel dressing by incorporating umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes (UCMSC-Exos) into a robust, physically crosslinked polyvinyl alcohol/ε-polylysine (PVA/EPL) network. The resulting composite hydrogel exhibited an ideal wound dressing microstructure with high porosity, enhanced mechanical strength, excellent moisture retention, and potent broad-spectrum antibacterial activity. Functioning as an effective exosome reservoir, the hydrogel enabled a sustained release profile that potently stimulated the proliferation, migration, and tube-forming capacity of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in vitro . In a murine full-thickness wound model, the exosome-laden hydrogel significantly accelerated wound closure, promoted re-epithelialization, and enhanced the deposition of well-organized collagen. Most importantly, transcriptome sequencing analysis revealed 36 differentially expressed genes and identified modulation of immune response and cell motility as key underlying processes. The marked upregulation of critical skin repair genes Epcam and Ang2 was further validated by qRT-PCR. This study demonstrates that our UCMSC-Exos-PVA/EPL hydrogel synergistically integrates the physical advantages of a polymeric matrix with proactive biological signaling, offering a promising and comprehensive strategy for advanced wound management.