Exploring Compositions of Cell-Based Therapies for Diabetic Foot Ulcer Treatment: A Review of Clinical Studies

Cell-based therapy is widely investigated and applied for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs). Mesenchymal stem cells and skin equivalents are among most known representatives in the overall landscape of different cell-based approaches. At the same time, there is a growing number of studies in which cell-based treatments are administered in intriguing combinations with various biomaterials, therapeutic agents, and procedures. Existing variety in the treatment approaches may be attributed to the goal of achieving the best clinical outcomes for patients with DFU. Moreover, the list of studied cell types and subtypes is also expanding contributing to the diversity in the approaches. However, it is becoming increasingly difficult to navigate numerous existing cell-based compositions used or investigated for DFU treatment. Describing such compositions in a structured manner by dividing them into semantic blocks depending on the constituent elements may help to achieve a more complete vision of the current cell-based landscape. In this review, we aimed to demonstrate an existing variability in the cultured cell-based treatments of DFU in a structured manner. Additionally, we highlight promising approaches in the field of cell-based diabetic wound healing. In published clinical works on combination approach, different types of cells were used together with various biomaterials (e.g. collagen, gelatin, hyaluronic acid, fibrin, amniotic membrane, etc.) and specialized treatments and therapeutic agents (e.g., negative pressure, dermal grafting, percutaneous angioplasty, platelet-rich plasma, etc.) highlighting the search for most optimal composition. The existence of different cell-based compositions studied in a clinical setting is advantageous as it opens up the possibility for further investigation and approval of a broader range of different cell-based therapies. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2025.