Bioglass enhanced wound healing ability of urine‐derived stem cells through promoting paracrine effects between stem cells and recipient cells

In cell therapy, tissue regeneration ability of stem cells relies on the paracrine effects between stem cells and recipient cells. Our recent studies demonstrated that, in tissue engineering, bioactive silicates could stimulate paracrine effects between stem cells and recipient cells, which enhanced tissue generation. Therefore, we proposed that, in cell therapy, it may be an effective method to improve tissue regeneration ability of stem cells through activating the paracrine effects between stem cells and recipient cells with bioactive silicates. As urine‐derived stem cells (USCs) have been injected for wound healing and bioglass (BG) have shown bioactivity for various types of stem cells, in this study, we activated USCs with effective BG ionic products. Then the conditioned medium of BG‐activated USCs were used to culture endothelial cells and fibroblasts as well as co‐cultures of endothelial cells and fibroblasts. Results showed that growth factor expression in BG‐activated USCs was upregulated. In addition, paracrine effects between USCs and recipient cells in wound healing were stimulated, which resulted in enhanced capillary‐like network formation of endothelial cells and matrix protein production as well as myofibroblast differentiation of fibroblasts. Finally, the BG‐activated USCs were applied on full‐thickness excisional wounds. Results confirmed that BG‐activated USCs had better wound healing ability through improving angiogenesis and collagen deposition in wound sites as compared with USCs without any treatment. Taken together, BG can be used to promote wound healing ability of USCs by enhancing paracrine effects between USCs and recipient cells.