TY  - JOUR
AU  - Wang, Yunwei
AU  - Zhao, Luyang
AU  - Ma, Hao
AU  - Shi, Ao
AU  - Cao, Peng
AU  - Cai, Feiyu
AU  - Zhao, Ruomei
AU  - Wang, Gang
AU  - Hu, Zhihan
AU  - Wang, Jiatong
AU  - Kang, Yuchen
AU  - Di, Xiaoyu
AU  - Zhang, Qingyi
AU  - Zhang, Hao
AU  - Hou, Shuguang
AU  - Zhang, Babo
AU  - Luo, Liang
AU  - Wang, Han
AU  - Liu, Yi
AU  - Guan, Hao
PY  - 2026
TI  - Self-organizing three-dimensional dermal papilla cell spheroids yield therapeutic extracellular vesicles that target hypertrophic scar regression via the miR-26a-5p/CCNE2 axis
JO  - Burns & Trauma
SN  - 2321-3868
SP  - tkaf048
VL  - 14
IS  - 3
AB  - BackgroundHypertrophic scarring remains a critical challenge in regenerative medicine because of the limited efficacy of current antifibrotic therapies. Although dermal papilla cells (DPCs) exhibit intrinsic scar-inhibitory potential, their therapeutic utility is constrained by rapid replicative senescence and poor scalability in traditional monolayer cultures, necessitating innovative strategies to enhance cellular functionality and manufacturing feasibility.MethodsA self-feeder layer 3D (SFL-3D) platform was established to reprogram primary human DPCs into rejuvenated three-dimensional DPC (tdDPC) spheroids via autocrine–paracrine signalling activation. tdDPC-derived extracellular vesicles (tdDPC-EVs) were isolated from culture supernatants by differential centrifugation. The antifibrotic effects of tdDPC-EVs were systematically evaluated using human scar fibroblasts through scratch wound healing assays, CCK-8 proliferation assays, and fibrotic marker analysis [Western blotting and immunofluorescence staining for α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and collagen I]. Bioinformatics was used to predict key pathways involved in hypertrophic scar (HS) pathogenesis, whereas gain/loss-of-function studies investigated the miR-26a-5p/CCNE2 regulatory axis. Therapeutic validation was performed in a rabbit ear hypertrophic scar model with histopathological and molecular profiling.ResultsCompared with conventional 3D cultures, the SFL-3D system demonstrated superior proliferative support, enabling stable tdDPC expansion beyond 10 passages while maintaining high viability and enhanced EV biogenesis. miR-26a-5p-enriched tdDPC-EVs attenuated fibrosis through two mechanisms: (1) silencing CCNE2 to block PI3K/AKT-driven collagen overproduction and (2) suppressing α-SMA + myofibroblast differentiation. In the rabbit ear HS model, tdDPC-EV administration reduced the scar elevation index and restored the collagen Ⅰ/Ⅲ ratio to near-physiological levels.ConclusionsThis study positions tdDPC-EVs as a scalable acellular therapy that overcomes the replicative senescence and manufacturing limitations of cellular approaches. The antiscarring efficacy of these EVs, which is mediated by the miR-26a-5p/CCNE2/PI3K/AKT axis, highlights their clinical potential as precision-targeted strategies for hypertrophic scar management. The SFL-3D platform further provides a translatable framework for EV-based regenerative therapeutics.
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1093/burnst/tkaf048
DO  - 10.1093/burnst/tkaf048