Hydrolat of Helichrysum italicum promotes tissue regeneration during wound healing.

Wound healing is a dynamic process involving different cell types with distinct roles according to the stages of healing. Fibroblasts and stem cells actively participate in tissue regeneration. A proper stimulation could contribute to enhance wound healing process-es. Helichrysum italicum (H. italicum) is a medical plant well described for its pharmacological, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory activities. Aim of the present work was to examine the effect of the hydrolat derivate from H. italicum on stem cells isolated from skin and fibroblasts in vitro in presence or absence of tissue damage. The viability and proliferation of all cell types cultured in dif-ferent conditions were analyzed by MTT and BrdU assays. Cell proliferation after wound was analyzed with scratch test. Also, the expression of the main genes involved in tissue repair was evaluated by RT-qPCR analysis. Here we describe the capability of hy-drolat of H. italicum to promote tissue regeneration after scratch test both in stem cells and in fibroblasts. Moreover, the gene ex-pression analysis revealed that, hydrolat of H. italicum is also able to enhance stemness related. In conclusion our results are en-couraging, highlighting novel regenerative properties of hydrolat of H. italicum and paving the way for future application of this wasting product in accelerating wound healing.

Isolating stem cells from skin: designing a novel highly efficient non-enzymatic approach.

Stem cells are undifferentiated elements capable to acquire a specific cellular phenotype under the influence of specific stimuli, thus being involved in tissue integrity and maintenance. In the skin tissue self-renewal and wound healing after injury is a complex process, especially in adulthood, due to the aging process and the continuous exposure to damaging agents. The importance of stem cells in regenerative medicine is well known and defining or improving their isolation methods is therefore a primary and crucial step. In the present paper we present a novel method to isolate stem cells from human skin, including the involvement of a novel medium for the maintenance and expansion of in vitro cultures. The biopsies were mechanically digested and put in culture. The migrating cells were positive selected with magnetic cell sorting, characterized by flow-cytometry analysis, and viability detected by MTT assay. Cells exhibited a mesenchymal phenotype, as demonstrated by the positive acquirement of an osteogenic or adipogenic phenotype when cultured in specific conditioned media. Taken together our results disclose a novel method for culturing and expanding stem cells from skin and pave the way for future clinical applications in tissue regeneration.