Microvascular Fragment-Loaded Platelet-Rich Plasma Dressing Promotes Cutaneous Wound Healing.

Chronic wounds represent a considerable burden for the affected patients and the health care system. To overcome this problem, effective treatment strategies are urgently required. In this study, we tested a novel approach by combining platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and microvascular fragments (MVF) to create a prevascularized gel dressing. MVF were enzymatically isolated from the epididymal fat pads of transgenic green fluorescent protein (GFP) C57BL/6J donor mice. Subsequently, 5,000 MVF were suspended in 10 μL murine PRP as carrier and transferred into full-thickness skin wounds within dorsal skinfold chambers of C57BL/6J wild-type mice (PRP+MVF). Wound healing in comparison to empty wounds (control) and wounds filled with PRP alone was repeatedly analyzed throughout 14 days by means of stereomicroscopy, histology, and immunohistochemistry. Planimetric assessment of the wound size over time revealed a significantly accelerated and improved healing of PRP+MVF-treated wounds when compared with PRP-treated and empty control wounds. These wounds also exhibited a significantly higher density of blood and lymph vessels, which originated from the GFP MVF isolates and effectively promoted granulation tissue formation inside the skin defects. This study is the first to combine PRP and MVF for the improvement of wound healing. The combination of PRP and MVF represents a promising approach for the future treatment of wounds that do not heal spontaneously due to poor wound-healing conditions.