Objective: Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)–derived microvesicles play a pivotal role in the regenerative cascade of wound healing. This study aimed to comparatively evaluate the therapeutic potential of microvesicles isolated from different MSC sources in the healing of diabetic cutaneous wounds.
Materials and Methods: Forty Wistar albino rats were randomly assigned to four experimental groups (n=10 per group). Following the induction of diabetes and the creation of full-thickness circular dorsal skin defects, each group received a distinct treatment: Group 1 received saline (control), Group 2 received adipose-derived stem cell microvesicles (ADSC-MVs), Group 3 received umbilical cord-derived stem cell microvesicles (UCDSC-MVs), and Group 4 received bone marrow-derived stem cell microvesicles (BMDSC-MVs). Outcomes related to re-epithelialization, neovascularization, and collagen matrix formation were evaluated both macroscopically and histologically.
Results: The microvesicle-treated groups demonstrated faster wound closure and improved collagen fiber alignment compared with the control group. Angiogenic activity was increased in all treatment groups, with the most pronounced effects observed in the UCDSC-MVs group. Notably, the UCDSC-MVs group exhibited a significantly greater epithelial tongue length than the control group on postoperative days 3 and 14 (p=0.008 and p<0.001, respectively).
Conclusion: These findings indicate that UCDSC–MVs possess a superior capacity to promote re-epithelialization and may represent an effective cell-free therapeutic approach for diabetic wound repair.