OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of epidermal stem cells from human hypertrophic scar (HS-ESCs) on the skin wound healing in nude mice.

METHODS40 mice were randomly divided into two groups as experimental group (n = 20) and control group (n = 20). Wounds, 1 cm in diameters, were made on every mouse back. The wounds were treated with HS-ESCs and erythromycin ointment in experimental group, or only with erythromycin ointment in control group. The wound healing was observed during the following 14 days. The expression of collagen-I, collagen-III, epidermal growth factor (EGF), fibroblast growth factor (FGF2) , transforming growth factor (TGFbeta1, and TGFbeta2) were studied.

RESULTSThe wound healing time in the experimental group was (20.8 +/- 0.84) d, which was (25.6 +/- 0.89) d in the control group. HE staining revealed that the extent of vascularization in the experimental group was 11.60 +/- 0.55, while it was 8.04 +/- 0.33 in the control group. Immunochemistry analysis showed the expression of collagen-I, collagen-III, EGF, FGF2, TGFbeta1, and TGFbeta2 in the experimental group were significantly higher, compared with those in control group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONHS-ESCs may promote wound healing through enhancement of the vascularization of the wound tissue and the expression of growth factors.

Animals ; Cicatrix, Hypertrophic ; pathology ; Epidermis ; cytology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Nude ; Skin ; injuries ; Stem Cell Transplantation ; Stem Cells ; Wound Healing

Promoting the construction of a “Healthy China” is essential to building a great modern socialist country. Health workers in every era have their historical missions and they are the “benevolent doctors” of their own era. Therefore， clarifying the basic connotation and times requirements of “benevolent doctors” has become the first question to be answered in cultivating “benevolent doctors”. The basic connotation of “benevolent doctor” should reflect not only the comprehensive development of moral， intellectual， physical， aesthetic， and labor education in fostering virtue and nurturing talents， but also embody the people-centered development philosophy， promote social equity and justice， and reflect the strategic needs of building a “Healthy China.” Specifically in the practice of medical education， emphasizing both medical science spirit and medical humanities spirit has become an important path to cultivate “benevolent doctors” in the new era.