Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Hematopoietic stem cells are one of the new therapeutic options for treating skin ulcers. Recently, a new perspective has been developed to better utilize stem cells using nanofiber scaffolds. The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of polycaprolactone/gelatin (PCL/GT) nanofiber scaffold on the therapeutic function of hematopoietic stem cells. METHODS: In this experimental study, 15 male BALB / c mice were divided into three groups of five, including the control group, the group receiving stem cells in the wound site (cell group) and the group receiving cell + PCL nanofiber scaffold. PCL/GT nanofiber scaffold was prepared by electrotherapy. After hematoxylin and eosin staining, the parameters of epidermal repair and hair follicle formation in the wound site were evaluated by fluorescence microscope and Image J and SPSS programs. FINDINGS: On day 28 after transplantation, the highest and lowest epidermal thicknesses were observed in the cell + scaffold group and control group, which were 10.5±0.3 and 27.3±0.9 μm, respectively, which was significant (p<0.05). Moreover, the highest and lowest number of hair follicles were observed in the cell + scaffold group and control group, respectively; 5.2±0.2 and 4.2±0.3. The difference between the two groups was significant (p<0.01) CONCLUSION: Polycaprolactone / gelatin (PCL/GT) nanofiber scaffold significantly increases the therapeutic function of hematopoietic stem cells in the wound site. © 2018, Babol University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved.