Co-delivery of Adipose-derived Stromal Cells and Endothelial Colony Forming Cells in Novel Cell-assembled Scaffolds as a Pro-angiogenic Cell Therapy Platform
Abstract
Cellular therapies involving the co-delivery of pro-regenerative cell types that have complementary pro-vascular functionality hold promise as a strategy to promote the healing of chronic wounds. In particular, the co-delivery of human adipose‑derived stromal cells (ASCs) and endothelial colony forming cells (ECFCs) has shown promise for regenerating stable blood vessels in vivo, addressing a major barrier within the chronic wound microenvironment. The current study focused on developing novel “cell-assembled” scaffolds for co-delivering ASCs and ECFCs within a supportive matrix composed of decellularized adipose tissue (DAT), with the objective of enhancing their localized retention and augmenting their capacity to stimulate vascular regeneration. Stable scaffolds were constructed containing both cell types alone or in combination, with ECFC tubule formation observed in vitro. In vivo assessment in athymic nu/nu mice showed that co‑delivery enhanced ECFC retention compared to ECFC alone scaffolds, supporting the further investigation of this novel platform for wound healing applications.