# Enhancement of stem cell regenerative properties by hydrogen sulfide: a novel wound dressing to augment stem cell therapies

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MED BR GALVESTON · 2020 · $479,467

## Abstract

Abstract
 Despite significant improvements in the care of burn patients, approximately 40,000 patients are
hospitalized yearly in the United States for the treatment of severe burns, an injury associated with slow
recovery and high costs of care. Because delayed wound healing prolongs hospitalization and increases risk of
infection, identification of safe and effective treatments that promote wound healing would facilitate recovery
and improve outcomes for burn patients. The application of adult adipose-derived stem cells (ADSC) to
regenerate skin in burn wounds is becoming increasingly recognized for its potential as an effective treatment
to accelerate healing and recovery. However, methods to improve cell delivery to wounds, and ADSC viability
and reparative functions are needed to increase the efficacy of this developing regenerative therapy. Hydrogen
sulfide (H2S) is a gaseous biological mediator with a range of effects in various tissues. Recently it has been
shown that H2S can increase the proliferation, viability and functions of bone marrow- and adipose-derived
stem cells, confirmed by our preliminary data. We propose that local H2S treatment can enhance the
regenerative properties of ADSC therapy and accelerate burn wound repair. However, the effective application
of H2S to wounds is challenging due to a lack of stable H2S donors or inducing agents that can be topically
delivered with controlled release. A biocompatible hyaluronic acid (HA)-based hydrogel, loaded with a slow-
release H2S donor, has been developed and used as a dressing to enhance non-burn wound healing. Further, a
HA-hydrogel with encapsulated MSC has been developed. In this project, a dual-loaded HA-based hydrogel,
containing both an H2S donor and ADSC, will be developed and applied to burn wounds as a dressing. We
hypothesize that application of a dual-loaded ADSC/H2S-releasing dressing to burn wounds will accelerate
healing through effects of H2S on ADSC survival, proliferation and production of trophic factors that stimulate
healing responses. This will be tested through the following aims: 1) To demonstrate improvement of ADSC
wound therapy by H2S using dual-loaded ADSC-H2S releasing wound dressings in an ovine model of severe
injury and autologous grafting.; 2) To characterize the effects of H2S on ADSC properties and functions that
promote wound healing, under normal and hypoxic conditions (model of ischemic wound environment); 3) To
demonstrate that H2S increases therapeutic efficacy of human ADSC for the treatment of burn wounds. This
project will not only identify a novel wound dressing to improve healing, but it will also establish H2S as a
treatment to augment regenerative stem cell therapies for the treatment of burns and other diseases and will
provide insight into regulation of ADSC biology by H2S.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10122190
- **Project number:** 1R01GM136877-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MED BR GALVESTON
- **Principal Investigator:** Tracy E TOLIVER-KINSKY
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $479,467
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-09-15 → 2024-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10122190

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10122190, Enhancement of stem cell regenerative properties by hydrogen sulfide: a novel wound dressing to augment stem cell therapies (1R01GM136877-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10122190. Licensed CC0.

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