Hydrogel-Encapsulated Primed MSCs Enhance Regeneration in Full-Thickness Porcine Burn Wounds

Abstract

Severe burn injuries pose significant clinical challenges, with high risks of infection, excessive inflammation, and impaired wound healing. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have shown regenerative and antimicrobial potential; however, their therapeutic efficacy is constrained by poor survival and engraftment. Here, we demonstrate that priming MSCs with insulin-secreting cells (ISCs) and encapsulating them in hydrogels (HEMI) enhances their regenerative function, leading to accelerated healing of full-thickness burns in a porcine model. By 5 weeks, 80% of HEMI-treated wounds achieved complete closure, compared with 50% of MSC-only wounds and 0% of standard-of-care control wounds. All groups exhibited partial wound closure over time, but no control wounds reached complete closure within the study period. Histological analysis revealed complete epidermal and dermal regeneration with minimal fibrosis in HEMI-treated wounds. Single-cell RNA sequencing and differentially abundant sequencing analysis identified distinct MSC subpopulations whose relative abundance and transcriptional profiles differed between insulin-primed and control MSCs, with insulin priming promoting pathways involved in extracellular matrix stabilization, immune modulation, and oxidative stress resistance. Our findings suggest that insulin priming enhances MSC-mediated tissue repair via paracrine mechanisms, providing a clinically translatable strategy for improving burn treatment and regenerative medicine applications.

Impact Statement

The clinical translation of mesenchymal stem cell therapies has been hindered by poor cell retention after transplantation and inconsistent regenerative efficacy. This study demonstrates that insulin priming and hydrogel encapsulation act synergistically to enhance MSC function and retention, thereby improving wound healing in a clinically relevant porcine burn model. Because these barriers are common across many forms of impaired skin repair, including burns, diabetic ulcers, and age-related chronic wounds, this platform has broad potential to advance regenerative medicine strategies for cutaneous tissue repair.