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Repairing Qinling Giant Panda Skin Wounds Using Adipose Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles
by
Suhua Gong
1,†, 
Hongyu Niu
1,†,
Yanni Jia
1,
Mengjie Liu
1,
Xiaoyu Ren
1,
Danhui Zhang
2,
Jiena Shen
2,
Chuangxue Yang
3,
Yinghu Lei
2,
Pengpeng Zhao
2,* and
Pengfei Lin
1,* 1
College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
2
Research Center for The Qinling Giant Panda, Rescue Base of Rare Wild Animals in Shaanxi Province, Louguantai, Xi’an 710402, China
3
Louguantai State Owned Ecological Experimental Forest Farm in Shaanxi Province, Zhouzhi, Xi’an 710402, China
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Animals 2025, 15(9), 1270; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15091270 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 14 February 2025
/
Revised: 16 April 2025
/
Accepted: 28 April 2025
/
Published: 29 April 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Stem-Cell-Based Therapies in Veterinary Medicine—Current Status and Perspectives: Second Edition)
Simple Summary
The Qinling giant panda is a rare species that is vulnerable to skin injuries, which can threaten its health and survival. This study focuses on finding a way to help these pandas recover from skin damage. Researchers have explored the use of exosomes, tiny particles released from fat-derived stem cells, which have shown potential in promoting healing. By extracting these exosomes from the fat cells of Qinling giant pandas, the team tested their effects on skin cells and in a mouse model of skin injury. The results show that these exosomes help speed up the healing process, reduce inflammation, and improve skin repair. This research opens up new possibilities for treating skin injuries in pandas and may contribute to protecting the species and its genetic resources.
Abstract
The Qinling giant panda has a high susceptibility to skin damage, which affects its survival. Although their healing efficacy in panda injuries remains unexplored, extracellular vesicles from adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSC-EVs) have shown promise in regenerative medicine. In this study, ADMSC-EVs were successfully obtained from Qinling giant pandas using ultracentrifugation, and proteomic techniques were used to analyze their composition and function. Primary skin fibroblasts from Qinling giant pandas were isolated and cultured to explore the effects of ADMSC-EVs on cell proliferation and migration. Additionally, a mouse model of skin injury was used to assess their wound healing effects. The ADMSC-EVs contained various substances, particularly proteins, with fifty unique proteins involved in transport, catabolism, and signal transduction identified. The application of ADMSC-EVs in a mouse model accelerated wound healing and promoted the regeneration of the epidermal and dermal layers. It facilitated the repair of skin appendages, including hair follicles and sebaceous glands. Additionally, ADMSC-EVs enhanced collagen deposition, stimulated angiogenesis, and reduced inflammation. Our findings confirm that ADMSC-EVs significantly improve skin healing, thus supporting the theoretical framework for the clinical use of giant panda extracellular vesicles and underscoring their potential for preserving the genetic resources of the Qinling giant panda.
