Serena Liang Jing

All Publications

• Clinical Features and Mechanisms of Differential Wound Healing and Scarring Across Anatomical Sites. Advances in wound care Yao, H., Jing, S. L., Huang, K. X., Griffin, M. F., Longaker, M. T., Wan, D. C., Li, D. J. 2025

  Abstract

  Significance: Fibrosis is associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality and poses a heavy burden on the health care system. Different regions of the body heal at different rates with varying degrees of fibrosis, with regions such as the extremities and trunk being more prone to scarring than the face and mucosa. Therapies that leverage the unique mechanisms underlying these anatomical differences in wound healing may be effective in mitigating fibrosis and scarring. Recent Advances: Recent studies in mice have revealed fibroblast-intrinsic signaling pathways that contribute to scar formation in different areas of the body, such as engrailed-1-positive fibroblasts and paired-related homeobox-1-positive fibroblasts in dorsal, ventral, and dermal scars, respectively. Novel approaches that target specific molecular pathways within fibroblasts may pave the way for effective therapies in replicating features of scar-resistant skin and facilitating wound healing. Critical Issues: Clinical practice and animal studies have shown some body regions to be more susceptible to fibrosis than others. However, our understanding on cellular and molecular mechanisms that contribute to this phenomenon remains limited. Future Directions: Advances in antiscarring therapy will benefit from harnessing several aspects of wound healing in regions less prone to fibrosis, including reducing mechanical tension, controlling angiogenic response, and modulating fibroblast subtypes. [Figure: see text] [Figure: see text].

  View details for DOI 10.1177/21621918251387627

  View details for PubMedID 41218822

• Wound Healing and Management Considerations in the Pediatric Surgical Patient. Advances in wound care Liang, N. E., Jing, S. L., Suh, E. J., Wang, H. H., Pham, B. P., Chiu, B., Hyun, J. S., Griffin, M. F., Longaker, M. T., Fell, G. L. 2025

  Abstract

  Significance: Wound healing in pediatric patients is affected by physiology, growth, and development considerations unique from those in adults. In the following report, we review the primary literature on aging and wound healing and highlight clinical wound healing applications for the pediatric patient across age ranges from neonates and infants in the first year of life to adolescents (aged 10-19 years by World Health Organization definition). Recent Advances: We characterize the differences in wound healing biology between infants, adolescents, and adults and discuss wound care strategies for pediatric surgical patients, highlighting evidence-based guidelines for wound management. We discuss relevant animal models and review the multidisciplinary aspects of providing wound care for children. Critical Issues: Pediatric surgical patients have specialized wound care needs. Optimizing wound care outcomes for infants, children, and adolescents relies on an understanding of their wound-healing biology and unique physiological, psychological, and social considerations. Future Directions: Future directions in pediatric wound care will focus on validating and optimizing emerging technologies through pediatric-specific clinical trials, while also addressing key knowledge gaps in topical agent pharmacokinetics and advancing regenerative approaches like mesenchymal stem cell therapies tailored to the unique biology of infants and children.

  View details for DOI 10.1177/21621918251387640

  View details for PubMedID 41192826

• Characterizing Fibroblast Heterogeneity in Diabetic Wounds Through Single-Cell RNA-Sequencing. Biomedicines Wang, H. H., Korah, M., Jing, S. L., Berry, C. E., Griffin, M. F., Longaker, M. T., Januszyk, M. 2024; 12 (11)

  Abstract

  Diabetes mellitus is an increasingly prevalent chronic metabolic disorder characterized by physiologic hyperglycemia that, when left uncontrolled, can lead to significant complications in multiple organs. Diabetic wounds are common in the general population, yet the underlying mechanism of impaired healing in such wounds remains unclear. Single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNAseq) has recently emerged as a tool to study the gene expression of heterogeneous cell populations in skin wounds. Herein, we review the history of scRNAseq and its application to the study of diabetic wound healing, focusing on how innovations in single-cell sequencing have transformed strategies for fibroblast analysis. We summarize recent research on the role of fibroblasts in diabetic wound healing and describe the functional and cellular heterogeneity of skin fibroblasts. Moreover, we highlight future opportunities in diabetic wound fibroblast research, with a focus on characterizing distinct fibroblast subpopulations and their lineages. Leveraging single-cell technologies to explore fibroblast heterogeneity and the complex biology of diabetic wounds may reveal new therapeutic targets for improving wound healing and ultimately alleviate the clinical burden of chronic wounds.

  View details for DOI 10.3390/biomedicines12112538

  View details for PubMedID 39595104

• Defining the Tumor Microenvironment Across Thousands of Tumors Lu, J., Korah, M., Jing, S. L., Guo, J. L., Berry, C., Wan, D. C., Norton, J. A., Delitto, D., Januszyk, M., Longaker, M. T. LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS. 2024: S440-S441

  View details for Web of Science ID 001348680703081

• A Comprehensive Meta-Analysis of the Human Wound Microenvironment Jing, S. L., Lu, J., Korah, M., Parker, J. B. L., Berry, C., Wan, D. C., Januszyk, M., Longaker, M. T. LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS. 2024: S377

  View details for Web of Science ID 001348680702232

• Utilizing Single Cell Transcriptomics to Delineate Cancer Associated Fibroblasts in Sarcomas Korah, M., Lu, J., Jing, S. L., Berry, C., Wan, D. C., Norton, J. A., Delitto, D., Januszyk, M., Longaker, M. T. LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS. 2024: S460-S461

  View details for Web of Science ID 001348680703121

• Sensor-enabled Multilayer Artificial Intelligence Analysis for Predictive Wound Healing and Real-Time Patient Monitoring Trotsyuk, A. A., Jing, S., Chen, K., Henn, D., Jiang, Y., Niu, S., Sivaraj, D., Nag, R., Snyder, M., bao, Z., Gurtner, G. C. WILEY. 2023: 268-269

  View details for Web of Science ID 001005693800060

• Wireless, closed-loop, smart bandage with integrated sensors and stimulators for advanced wound care and accelerated healing. Nature biotechnology Jiang, Y., Trotsyuk, A. A., Niu, S., Henn, D., Chen, K., Shih, C. C., Larson, M. R., Mermin-Bunnell, A. M., Mittal, S., Lai, J. C., Saberi, A., Beard, E., Jing, S., Zhong, D., Steele, S. R., Sun, K., Jain, T., Zhao, E., Neimeth, C. R., Viana, W. G., Tang, J., Sivaraj, D., Padmanabhan, J., Rodrigues, M., Perrault, D. P., Chattopadhyay, A., Maan, Z. N., Leeolou, M. C., Bonham, C. A., Kwon, S. H., Kussie, H. C., Fischer, K. S., Gurusankar, G., Liang, K., Zhang, K., Nag, R., Snyder, M. P., Januszyk, M., Gurtner, G. C., Bao, Z. 2022

  Abstract

  'Smart' bandages based on multimodal wearable devices could enable real-time physiological monitoring and active intervention to promote healing of chronic wounds. However, there has been limited development in incorporation of both sensors and stimulators for the current smart bandage technologies. Additionally, while adhesive electrodes are essential for robust signal transduction, detachment of existing adhesive dressings can lead to secondary damage to delicate wound tissues without switchable adhesion. Here we overcome these issues by developing a flexible bioelectronic system consisting of wirelessly powered, closed-loop sensing and stimulation circuits with skin-interfacing hydrogel electrodes capable of on-demand adhesion and detachment. In mice, we demonstrate that our wound care system can continuously monitor skin impedance and temperature and deliver electrical stimulation in response to the wound environment. Across preclinical wound models, the treatment group healed ~25% more rapidly and with ~50% enhancement in dermal remodeling compared with control. Further, we observed activation of proregenerative genes in monocyte and macrophage cell populations, which may enhance tissue regeneration, neovascularization and dermal recovery.

  View details for DOI 10.1038/s41587-022-01528-3

  View details for PubMedID 36424488

  View details for PubMedCentralID 5350204

• Aligned microribbon scaffolds with hydroxyapatite gradient for engineering bone-tendon interface. Tissue engineering. Part A Stanton, A. E., Tong, X., Jing, S., Behn, A. W., Storaci, H., Yang, F. 2022

  Abstract

  Injuries of the bone-to-tendon interface, such as rotator cuff and anterior cruciate ligament tears, are prevalent yet effective methods for repair remain elusive. Tissue engineering approaches that use cells and biomaterials offer a promising potential solution for engineering the bone-tendon interface, but previous strategies require seeding multiple cell types and use of multiphasic scaffolds to achieve zonal-specific tissue phenotype. Furthermore, mimicking the aligned tissue morphology present in native bone-tendon interface in 3D remains challenging. To facilitate clinical translation, engineering bone-tendon interface using a single cell source and one continuous scaffold with alignment cues would be more attractive, but has not been achieved before. To address these unmet needs, here we develop an aligned gelatin-microribbon (muRB) hydrogel scaffold with hydroxyapatite nanoparticle (HA-np) gradient for guiding zonal-specific differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) to mimic the bone-tendon interface. We demonstrate aligned muRBs led to cell alignment in 3D, and HA gradient induced zonal-specific differentiation of MSCs that resembles the transition at the bone-tendon interface. Short chrondrogenic priming prior to exposure to osteogenic factors further enhanced the mimicry of bone-cartilage-tendon transition with significantly improved tensile moduli of the resulting tissues. In summary, aligned gelatin muRBs with HA gradient coupled with optimized soluble factors may offer a promising strategy for engineering bone-tendon interface using a single cell source.

  View details for DOI 10.1089/ten.TEA.2021.0099

  View details for PubMedID 35229651

• Galvanotactic Smart Bandage for Chronic Wound Management and Tissue Regeneration Trotsyuk, A. A., Jiang, Y., Niu, S., Henn, D., Chen, K., Larson, M., Beard, E., Saberi, A., Sivaraj, D., Mermin-Bunnell, A., Mittal, S., Jing, S., Kwon, S., Bonham, C., Padmanabhan, J., Perrault, D., Leeolou, M. C., Januszyk, M., Bao, Z., Gurtner, G. C. WILEY. 2022: A36

  View details for Web of Science ID 000763583000080

• Inhibiting Fibroblast Mechanotransduction Modulates Severity of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. Advances in wound care Trotsyuk, A. A., Chen, K., Kwon, S. H., Ma, K. C., Henn, D., Mermin-Bunnell, A. M., Mittal, S., Padmanabhan, J., Larson, M. R., Steele, S. R., Sivaraj, D., Bonham, C. A., Noishiki, C., Rodrigues, M., Jiang, Y., Jing, S., Niu, S., Chattopadhyay, A., Perrault, D. P., Leeolou, M. C., Fischer, K., Gurusankar, G., Choi Kussie, H., Wan, D. C., Januszyk, M., Longaker, M. T., Gurtner, G. C. 2021

  Abstract

  OBJECTIVE: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive fibrotic lung disease that affects 63 in every 100,000 Americans. Its etiology remains unknown, although inflammatory pathways appear to be important. Given the dynamic environment of the lung, we examined the significance of mechanotransduction on both inflammatory and fibrotic signaling during IPF.INNOVATION: Mechanotransduction pathways have not been thoroughly examined in the context of lung disease and pharmacologic approaches for IPF do not currently target these pathways. The interplay between mechanical strain and inflammation in pulmonary fibrosis remain incompletely understood.APPROACH: In this study, we used conditional KO mice to block mechanotransduction by knocking out FAK (Focal Adhesion Kinase) expression in fibroblasts, followed by induction of pulmonary fibrosis using bleomycin. We examined both normal human and human IPF fibroblasts and used immunohistochemistry, qRT-PCR, and Western Blot to evaluate the effects of FAK inhibition (FAKI) on modulating fibrotic and inflammatory genes.RESULTS: Our data indicate that deletion of FAK in mice reduces expression of fibrotic and inflammatory genes in lungs. Similarly, mechanical straining in normal human lung fibroblasts activates inflammatory and fibrotic pathways. FAK inhibition decreases these signals but has less effect on IPF fibroblasts as compared to normal human fibroblasts.CONCLUSION: Administering FAKI at early stages of fibrosis may attenuate the FAK-mediated fibrotic response pathway in IPF, potentially mediating disease progression.

  View details for DOI 10.1089/wound.2021.0077

  View details for PubMedID 34544267

• Adipose-derived stromal cells seeded in pullulan-collagen hydrogels improve healing in murine burns. Tissue engineering. Part A Barrera, J., Trotsyuk, A., Maan, Z. N., Bonham, C. A., Larson, M. R., Mittermiller, P. A., Henn, D., Chen, K., Mays, C. J., Mittal, S., Mermin-Bunnell, A. M., Sivaraj, D., Jing, S., Rodrigues, M., Kwon, S. H., Noishiki, C., Padmanabhan, J., Jiang, Y., Niu, S., Inayathullah, M., Rajadas, J., Januszyk, M., Gurtner, G. C. 2021

  Abstract

  Burn scars and scar contractures cause significant morbidity for patients. Recently, cell-based therapies have been proposed as an option for improving healing and reducing scarring after burn injury, through their known pro-angiogenic and immunomodulatory paracrine effects. Our lab has developed a pullulan-collagen hydrogel that, when seeded with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), improves cell viability and augments their pro-angiogenic capacity in vivo. Concurrently, recent research suggests that prospective isolation of cell subpopulations with desirable transcriptional profiles can be used to further improve cell-based therapies. In this study, we examined whether adipose-derived stem cell-seeded hydrogels could improve wound healing following thermal injury using a murine contact burn model. Partial thickness contact burns were created on the dorsum of mice. On days 5 and 10 following injury, burns were debrided and received either ASC-hydrogel, ASC injection alone, hydrogel alone, or no treatment. On days 10 and 25, burns were harvested for histologic and molecular analysis. This experiment was repeated using CD26+/CD55+ FACS-enriched ASCs to further evaluate the regenerative potential of ASCs in wound healing. ASC-hydrogel-treated burns demonstrated accelerated time to re-epithelialization, greater vascularity, and increased expression of the pro-angiogenic genes MCP-1, VEGF, and SDF-1 at both the mRNA and protein level. Expression of the pro-fibrotic gene Timp1 and pro-inflammatory gene Tnfa were down-regulated in ASC-hydrogel treated burns. ASC-hydrogel treated burns exhibited reduced scar area compared to hydrogel-treated and control wounds, with equivalent scar density. CD26+/CD55+ ASC-hydrogel treatment resulted in accelerated healing, increased dermal appendage count, and improved scar quality with a more reticular collagen pattern. Here we find that ASC-hydrogel therapy is effective for treating burns, with demonstrated pro-angiogenic, fibro-modulatory and immunomodulatory effects. Enrichment for CD26+/CD55+ ASCs has additive benefits for tissue architecture and collagen remodeling post-burn injury. Research is ongoing to further facilitate clinical translation of this promising therapeutic approach.

  View details for DOI 10.1089/ten.TEA.2020.0320

  View details for PubMedID 33789446