Distinct roles of amniotic membrane epithelial (hAEC) and mesenchymal stromal cells (hAMSC) in amniotic membrane-driven wound healing

Human skin wound healing is a complex process involving sequential cellular events to restore skin integrity. Chronic wounds fail to heal due to impaired keratinocyte activation and dysregulated cytokine signaling. The human amniotic membrane (hAM), a perinatal derivative, is widely used in hospitals due to its therapeutic effects on wound healing. hAM contains two main cell types: human Amniotic Epithelial Cells (hAEC) and human Amniotic Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (hAMSC). This study isolated and cultured both cell types, using their conditioned media in assays for cell migration, proliferation, and TGF-β cell-cycle arrest rescue. While hAEC-conditioned media only had similar effects to hAM in cell migration, hAMSC-conditioned media demonstrated superior efficacy in this and other assays. These findings suggest that hAMSC are the primary contributors to AM's beneficial effects in chronic wound healing, highlighting their potential for targeted therapeutic applications.