Stem cells: sweat glands heal wounds

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MunichWith some diseases, wounds heal very poorly. These include, for example, diabetes, tumors, infections or skin diseases. One possible solution for wound healing: the body's own stem cells. And they could easily be taken from the skin's sweat glands.

All-rounder against the vacancies

Stem cells are body components that have not yet made a decision - they can differentiate into a wide variety of cells, such as skin cells. The type of cell they develop into depends on where they are in the body. It has long been known that these all-rounders can help to close wounds. The exact mechanism behind this is still unclear. Maybe because they make new skin cells and blood vessels on their own. But it could also be that their ability to produce growth hormones is critical to the healing process. These activate immune cells that manage the closure of the wound.

Armpit skin instead of surgery

In stem cell therapy, it is important that the body does not reject the new building blocks - that is why the cells must come from the patient himself if possible. They are mainly found in the bone marrow and in the blood - but from there they would have to be removed in complex operations.

Scientists working with Professor Charli Kruse from the Frauenhofer Institute in Lübeck have now found a much simpler way of obtaining stem cells: from the sweat glands in the skin. Humans have up to three million such glands. They mainly sit on the soles of the feet, on the palms of the hands, on the forehead or in the armpits. Less than three millimeters of armpit skin is enough, for example, to obtain stem cells. This would only require a small outpatient procedure at the dermatologist.

Wound healing - effective and fast

The researchers have demonstrated the effect of these stem cells on wound healing in mice and human skin. They stimulated the stem cells from the sweat glands of humans and animals to multiply in a Petri dish. The mini wound healers later planted them on a collagen carrier. This was then applied to wounds. The pad is important because otherwise the cells would be washed away by the bloodstream. In both cases, the wounds healed much better and faster with stem cells than without.

Cell bank for emergencies

Together with a biotech company from Lübeck, the scientists are now working on joint products for improved wound healing. Kruse sees diverse applications for the future. The stem cells could also help prevent implants from being rejected by the body - if they are encased in stem cells. Kruse says: “In the long term, a cell bank is conceivable in which a young person can store stem cells from their own sweat glands - if these can still be reproduced particularly easily. He can use it when he needs new cells - for example after an illness or an accident. "(Ab)

Source: Fraunhofer Institute: Sweat glands heal wounds, Research Compact, February 2014

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