Stromal Cell-Derived Factor-1 Receptor CXCR4-Overexpressing Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells Accelerate Wound Healing by Migrating into Skin Injury Areas

Stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) and its membrane receptor C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) are involved in the homing and migration of multiple stem cell types, neovascularization, and cell proliferation. This study investigated the hypothesis that bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) accelerate skin wound healing in the mouse model by overexpression of CXCR4 in BMSCs. We compared SDF-1 expression and skin wound healing times of BALB/c mice, severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice, and immune system-deficient nude mice after Co-60 radiation-induced injury of their bone marrow. The occurrence of transplanted adenovirus-transfected CXCR4-overexpressing male BMSCs in the wound area was compared with the occurrence of untransfected male BALB/c BMSCs in Co-60-irradiated female mice skin wound healing areas by Y chromosome marker analyses. The wound healing time of BALB/c mice was 14.00 +/- 1.41 days, whereas for the nude and SCID mice it was 17.16 +/- 1.17 days and 19.83 +/- 0.76 days, respectively. Male BMSCs could be detected in the surrounding areas of Co-60-irradiated female BALB/c mice wounds, and CXCR4-overexpressing BMSCs accelerated the wound healing time. CXCR4-overexpressing BMSCs migrate in an enhanced manner to skin wounds in a SDF-1-expression-dependent manner, thereby reducing the skin wound healing time.