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Soft tissue fibroblasts from well healing and chronic human wounds show different rates of myofibroblasts in vitro

Molecular Biology Reports volume 40, pages 1721–1733 (2013)Cite this article

Abstract

Due to an increasing life expectancy in western countries, chronic wound treatment will be an emerging challenge in the next decades. Because therapies are improving slowly appropriate diagnostic tools enabling the early prediction of the healing success remain to be developed. We used a well-established in vitro assay in combination with the analysis of 27 cytokines to discriminate between fibroblasts from chronic (n = 6) and well healing (n = 8) human wounds. Proliferation and migration of the cells as well as their response to hypoxia and their behaviour in co-culture with microvascular endothelial cells were analyzed. Myofibroblast differentiation, a time-limited essential process of regular wound healing, was also quantified. Besides weaker proliferation and migration significantly higher rates of myofibroblasts were detected in chronic wounds. With respect to the cytokine release, there was a clear trend within the group of chronic wound fibroblasts, which were releasing interferon-γ, monocyte chemotactic protein-1, granulocyte–macrophage colony stimulating factor and basic fibroblast growth factor in higher amounts than fibroblasts from healing wounds. Although the overall response of both groups of fibroblasts to hypoxia and to the contact with endothelial cells was similar, especially chronic wound fibroblasts seemed to benefit from the endothelial interaction during hypoxia and displayed better migration characteristics. The study shows (1) that the assay can identify specific features of fibroblasts derived from different human wounds and (2) that wound fibroblasts are varying in their response to the chosen parameters. Thus, current therapeutic approaches and individual healing prediction might benefit from this assay.

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Affiliations

  1. Department of Trauma-, Hand- and Reconstructive Surgery, Saarland University, Kirrberger Strasse, Bldng. 57, 66421, Homburg, Germany

    Florian Schwarz, Martina Jennewein, Monika Bubel, Joerg H. Holstein, Tim Pohlemann & Martin Oberringer

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  1. Florian Schwarz
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  2. Martina Jennewein
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Correspondence to Martin Oberringer.

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Schwarz, F., Jennewein, M., Bubel, M. et al. Soft tissue fibroblasts from well healing and chronic human wounds show different rates of myofibroblasts in vitro. Mol Biol Rep 40, 1721–1733 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-012-2223-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-012-2223-6

Keywords

  • Wound healing
  • Cytokines
  • Co-culture
  • Myofibroblast
  • Endothelial cell
  • Hypoxia