Silicone cryogel skeletons enhance the survival and mechanical integrity of hydrogel-encapsulated cell therapies.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 38578991.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1126/sciadv.adk5949 and PMC identifier 10997197.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
The transplantation of engineered cells that secrete therapeutic proteins presents a promising method for addressing a range of chronic diseases. However, hydrogels used to encase and protect non-autologous cells from immune rejection often suffer from poor mechanical properties, insufficient oxygenation, and fibrotic encapsulation. Here, we introduce a composite encapsulation system comprising an oxygen-permeable silicone cryogel skeleton, a hydrogel matrix, and a fibrosis-resistant polymer coating. Cryogel skeletons enhance the fracture toughness of conventional alginate hydrogels by 23-fold and oxygen diffusion by 2.8-fold, effectively mitigating both implant fracture and hypoxia of encapsulated cells. Composite implants containing xenogeneic cells engineered to secrete erythropoietin significantly outperform unsupported alginate implants in therapeutic delivery over 8 weeks in immunocompetent mice. By improving mechanical resiliency and sustaining denser cell populations, silicone cryogel skeletons enable more durable and miniaturized therapeutic implants.
Medical subject headings
- Hydrogels
- Cryogels