Mesenchymal stem cells attenuate keloid pathogenesis via TGF-β1/SMAD-driven MMP9 suppression: mechanistic insights into collagen remodeling and extracellular matrix homeostasis.

ABSTRACT: Keloids, characterized by excessive collagen deposition and recurrence, pose significant therapeutic challenges due to limited mechanistic understanding. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) exhibit potential for keloid management, but their precise mechanisms remain unclear. This study investigated how MSCs modulate extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling in keloid pathogenesis. Using a co-culture system of human umbilical cord MSCs (UC-MSCs) and immortalized keloid fibroblasts (HDIKFs), we demonstrated that UC-MSCs significantly suppressed HDIKF proliferation (via CCK8 assay) and migration (via wound healing assay). Interestingly, UC-MSCs did not alter keloid xenograft growth in vivo. Mechanistically, quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) revealed

SUBMITTER: Zhao Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12520221 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature