Tabriz University of Medical Sciences BioImpacts 2228-5652 12 1 2022 01 01 Mesenchymal stromal cell therapy alone does not lead to complete restoration of skin parameters in diabetic foot patients within a 3-year follow-up period 51 55 10.34172/bi.2021.22167 EN Nadezhda V. Maksimova https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4276-0625 Anna V. Michenko Olga A. Krasilnikova https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8069-9952 Ilya D. Klabukov https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2888-7999 Igor Yu. Gadaev https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2782-4179 Michael E. Krasheninnikov https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3574-4013 Pavel A. Belkov Aleksey V. Lyundup https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0102-5491 Journal Article 10.34172/bi.2021.22167 2020 05 26 2020 07 29 Introduction: Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) administration is an effective option for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs). However, to date, studies assessing long-term outcomes and evaluating skin parameters after cell-based therapy are lacking. We presented the clinical outcomes of 3 patients, treated for DFUs with the bone marrow MSCs 3 years earlier. Methods: Ultrasound examination was used to compare collagen density and epidermal thickness in areas of healed ulcers in comparison with non-affected skin used as a control. Ultrasound and dermatoscopy were used to exclude neoplasm formation, to assess scar contracture and wound recurrence. Results: In all patients, no ulcer recurrence was detected, which was lower than the expected 60% rate of re-ulceration in diabetic patients in a 3-year period (OD [odds ratio] = 0.095, P = 0.12). No neoplasm formation, no contracture of hypertrophic scar, and adjacent tissue were registered. Collagen ultrasound density was decreased by 57% (P = 0.053) and epidermal thickness was increased by 72% (P = 0.01) in the area of healed ulcers in all patients. Conclusion: MSCs therapy alone did not result in the complete restoration of the skin parameters within a 3-year period. MSCs may represent important adjuvant to the therapy, however, other novel approaches are required to achieve better results.