Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Cutaneous Wound Healing

The success of wound healing is impaired in several medical conditions resulting in increased morbidity. The current available therapeutic options frequently fail to promote full tissue regeneration, and stem cell-based therapies have emerged as promising alternatives. Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) have gained relevance within this context not only due to their ability to promote healing through engraftment and further differentiation, but also because of their paracrine effects. Recently, it has been suggested that the secretion of exosomes may be a dominant mechanism by which MSCs exert their healing function, thus granting them a potential new role as active players in cell-free-based therapies. This chapter focuses on the recent advances on MSC-based therapies for the treatment of cutaneous wounds, namely on their mechanisms of action and the strategies adopted to improve their therapeutic efficacy.