Connective Tissue Oncology Society

2001 CTOS Annual Meeting Posters— Radiation Oncology

MARROW STROMAL CELL TRANSPLANT IMPROVES WOUND HEALING FOLLWOING RADIATION
Robert Stuart Bell, O'Sullivan Brian, Hill Richard, Armand Keating
Princess Margaret Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

OBJECTIVE: We have previously shown that intra-dermal injection of autologous dermal fibroblasts partly reverses the effect of radiation on healing of a rat surgical model. In the current experiments, we have tested the effect of syngeneic marrow stromal cells transplantation on healing of irradiated deep and superficial wounds.

METHODS: Lewis rats received bilateral buttock irradiation (18 Gy single fraction) followed by creation of bilateral buttock incisions three weeks after radiation. At the time of surgery, one side received 106 pooled syngeneic marrow stromal cells. Twenty-one days following surgery, mechanical wound testing was performed.

RESULTS: The dermal injection of marrow stromal cells resulted in marked increases in breaking strength when compared to the control group breaking strength 338.5 g + 39.9g vs. 187.1g + 12.0g; p< 0.01 (Wilcoxon sign rank test).

CONCLUSION: Many patients may benefit from radiation prior to surgery, but wound healing complications are common following preoperative radiation. We have previously shown that dermal fibroblast transplantation into the radiated wound improves wound mechanical characteristics. Marrow stromal cells have a possibly greater effect on radiated wounds than dermal fibroblasts.