Stem Cell Treatment for Diabetic Foot Ulcers: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials

Effectiveness of Stem Cell Therapy for Diabetic Foot Ulcers: A Systematic Review and GRADE Compliant Bootstrapped Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials

Diabetic foot (DF) represents a severe complication of diabetes mellitus, imposing substantial psychological and economic burdens on affected individuals. This investigation sought to assess the therapeutic efficacy of stem cell interventions in the management of DF complications. A comprehensive systematic search across PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Scopus, and the Cochrane library databases was conducted to identify pertinent studies for meta-analysis. Outcome measures encompassed ulcer or wound healing rates, amputation rates, angiogenesis, ankle-brachial index (ABI), and pain-free walking distance. Dichotomous outcomes were expressed as risk differences (RDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), while continuous data were articulated as standardized mean differences (SMDs) with corresponding 95% CIs. Statistical analyses were executed using RevMan 5.3 and Open Meta, with bootstrapped meta-analysis conducted through OpenMEE software. A total of 20 studies, comprising 24 arms and involving 1304 participants, were incorporated into the meta-analysis. The findings revealed that stem cell therapy exhibited superior efficacy compared to conventional interventions in terms of ulcer or wound healing rate [RD = 0.36 (0.28, 0.43)], pain-free walking distance [SMD = 1.27 (0.89, 1.65)], ABI [SMD = 0.61 (0.33, 0.88)], and new vessel development [RD = 0.48 (0.23, 0.78)], while concurrently reducing the amputation rate significantly [RD = -0.19 (-0.25, -0.12)]. Furthermore, no statistically significant difference in adverse events was observed [RD -0.07 (-0.16, 0.02)]. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation assessment indicated varying levels of evidence certainty, ranging from very low to moderate, for different outcomes. Bootstrapping analysis substantiated the precision of the results. The meta-analysis underscores the significant superiority of stem cell therapy over conventional approaches in treating DF complications. Future investigations should prioritize large-scale, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trials, incorporating rigorous long-term follow-up protocols. These studies are essential for elucidating the optimal cell types and therapeutic parameters that contribute to the most effective treatment strategies for DF management.

Research progress and challenges in stem cell therapy for diabetic foot: Bibliometric analysis and perspectives

BACKGROUND

Stem cell therapy has shown great potential for treating diabetic foot (DF).

AIM

To conduct a bibliometric analysis of studies on the use of stem cell therapy for DF over the past two decades, with the aim of depicting the current global research landscape, identifying the most influential research hotspots, and providing insights for future research directions.

METHODS

We searched the Web of Science Core Collection database for all relevant studies on the use of stem cell therapy in DF. Bibliometric analysis was carried out using CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and R (4.3.1) to identify the most notable studies.

RESULTS

A search was conducted to identify publications related to the use of stem cells for DF treatment. A total of 542 articles published from 2000 to 2023 were identified. The United States had published the most papers on this subject. In this field, Iran's Shahid Beheshti University Medical Sciences demonstrated the highest productivity. Furthermore, Dr. Bayat from the same university has been an outstanding researcher in this field. Stem Cell Research & Therapy is the journal with the highest number of publications in this field. The main keywords were "diabetic foot ulcers," "wound healing," and "angiogenesis."

CONCLUSION

This study systematically illustrated the advances in the use of stem cell therapy to treat DF over the past 23 years. Current research findings suggested that the hotspots in this field include stem cell dressings, exosomes, wound healing, and adipose-derived stem cells. Future research should also focus on the clinical translation of stem cell therapies for DF.