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Silicone cryogel skeletons enhance the survival and mechanical integrity of hydrogel-encapsulated cell therapies.
- Source :
-
Science advances [Sci Adv] 2024 Apr 05; Vol. 10 (14), pp. eadk5949. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Apr 05. - Publication Year :
- 2024
-
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.
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 2375-2548
- Volume :
- 10
- Issue :
- 14
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Science advances
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 38578991
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adk5949