Capsule stiffness regulates the efficiency of pancreatic differentiation of human embryonic stem cells

A review of biopolymer-based hydrogels and IoT integration for enhanced diabetes diagnosis, management, and treatment

The prevalence of diabetes has been increasing globally, necessitating innovative approaches beyond conventional blood sugar monitoring and insulin control. Diabetes is associated with complex health complications, including cardiovascular diseases. Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) devices, though automated, have limitations such as irreversibility and interference with bodily fluids. Hydrogel technologies provide non-invasive alternatives to traditional methods, addressing the limitations of current approaches. This review explores hydrogels as macromolecular biopolymeric materials capable of absorbing and retaining a substantial amount of water within their structure. Due to their high-water absorption properties, these macromolecules are utilized as coating materials for wound care and diabetes management. The study emphasizes the need for early diagnosis and monitoring, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, where heightened attention to diabetic patients is crucial. Additionally, the article examines the role of the Internet of Things (IoT) and machine learning-based systems in enhancing diabetes management effectiveness. By leveraging these technologies, there is potential to revolutionize diabetes care, providing more personalized and proactive solutions. This review explores cutting-edge hydrogel-based systems as a promising avenue for diabetes diagnosis, management, and treatment, highlighting key biopolymers and technological integrations.

Silicone cryogel skeletons enhance the survival and mechanical integrity of hydrogel-encapsulated cell therapies

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.

Photo-click hydrogels for 3D in situ differentiation of pancreatic progenitors from induced pluripotent stem cells

BACKGROUND

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) can be differentiated to cells in all three germ layers, as well as cells in the extraembryonic tissues. Efforts in iPSC differentiation into pancreatic progenitors in vitro have largely been focused on optimizing soluble growth cues in conventional two-dimensional (2D) culture, whereas the impact of three-dimensional (3D) matrix properties on the morphogenesis of iPSC remains elusive.

METHODS

In this work, we employ gelatin-based thiol-norbornene photo-click hydrogels for in situ 3D differentiation of human iPSCs into pancreatic progenitors (PP). Molecular analysis and single-cell RNA-sequencing were utilized to elucidate on the distinct identities of subpopulations within the 2D and 3D differentiated cells.

RESULTS

We found that, while established soluble cues led to predominately PP cells in 2D culture, differentiation of iPSCs using the same soluble factors led to prominent branching morphogenesis, ductal network formation, and generation of diverse endoderm populations. Through single-cell RNA-sequencing, we found that 3D differentiation resulted in enrichments of pan-endodermal cells and ductal cells. We further noted the emergence of a group of extraembryonic cells in 3D, which was absent in 2D differentiation. The unexpected emergence of extraembryonic cells in 3D was found to be associated with enrichment of Wnt and BMP signaling pathways, which may have contributed to the emergence of diverse cell populations. The expressions of PP signature genes PDX1 and NKX6.1 were restored through inhibition of Wnt signaling at the beginning of the posterior foregut stage.

CONCLUSIONS

To our knowledge, this work established the first 3D hydrogel system for in situ differentiation of human iPSCs into PPs.

A Case for Material Stiffness as a Design Parameter in Encapsulated Islet Transplantation

Diabetes is a disease that plagues over 463 million people globally. Approximately 40 million of these patients have type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), and the global incidence is increasing by up to 5% per year. T1DM is where the body's immune system attacks the pancreas, specifically the pancreatic beta cells, with antibodies to prevent insulin production. Although current treatments such as exogenous insulin injections have been successful, exorbitant insulin costs and meticulous administration present the need for alternative long-term solutions to glucose dysregulation caused by diabetes. Encapsulated islet transplantation (EIT) is a tissue-engineered solution to diabetes. Donor islets are encapsulated in a semipermeable hydrogel, allowing the diffusion of oxygen, glucose, and insulin but preventing leukocyte infiltration and antibody access to the transplanted cells. Although successful in small animal models, EIT is still far from commercial use owing to necessary long-term systemic immunosuppressants and consistent immune rejection. Most published research has focused on tailoring the characteristics of the capsule material to promote clinical viability. However, most studies have been limited in scope to biochemical changes. Current mechanobiology studies on the effect of substrate stiffness on the function of leukocytes, especially macrophages-primary foreign body response (FBR) orchestrators, show promise in tailoring a favorable response to tissue-engineered therapies such as EIT. In this review, we explore strategies to improve the clinical viability of EIT. A brief overview of the immune system, the FBR, and current biochemical approaches will be elucidated throughout this exploration. Furthermore, an argument for using substrate stiffness as a capsule design parameter to increase EIT efficacy and clinical viability will be posed.

New Insights and Potential Therapeutic Interventions in Metabolic Diseases

Endocrine homeostasis and metabolic diseases have been the subject of extensive research in recent years. The development of new techniques and insights has led to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying these conditions and opened up new avenues for diagnosis and treatment. In this review, we discussed the rise of metabolic diseases, especially in Western countries, the genetical, psychological, and behavioral basis of metabolic diseases, the role of nutrition and physical activity in the development of metabolic diseases, the role of single-cell transcriptomics, gut microbiota, epigenetics, advanced imaging techniques, and cell-based therapies in metabolic diseases. Finally, practical applications derived from this information are made.

A Critical Review on Classified Excipient Sodium-Alginate-Based Hydrogels: Modification, Characterization, and Application in Soft Tissue Engineering

Alginates are polysaccharides that are produced naturally and can be isolated from brown sea algae and bacteria. Sodium alginate (SA) is utilized extensively in the field of biological soft tissue repair and regeneration owing to its low cost, high biological compatibility, and quick and moderate crosslinking. In addition to their high printability, SA hydrogels have found growing popularity in tissue engineering, particularly due to the advent of 3D bioprinting. There is a developing curiosity in tissue engineering with SA-based composite hydrogels and their potential for further improvement in terms of material modification, the molding process, and their application. This has resulted in numerous productive outcomes. The use of 3D scaffolds for growing cells and tissues in tissue engineering and 3D cell culture is an innovative technique for developing in vitro culture models that mimic the in vivo environment. Especially compared to in vivo models, in vitro models were more ethical and cost-effective, and they stimulate tissue growth. This article discusses the use of sodium alginate (SA) in tissue engineering, focusing on SA modification techniques and providing a comparative examination of the properties of several SA-based hydrogels. This review also covers hydrogel preparation techniques, and a catalogue of patents covering different hydrogel formulations is also discussed. Finally, SA-based hydrogel applications and future research areas concerning SA-based hydrogels in tissue engineering were examined.

Photo-click hydrogels for 3D in situ differentiation of pancreatic progenitors from induced pluripotent stem cells

Background Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) can be differentiated to cells in all three germ layers, as well as cells in the extraembryonic tissues. Efforts in iPSC differentiation into pancreatic progenitors in vitro have largely been focused on optimizing soluble growth cues in conventional two-dimensional (2D) culture, whereas the impact of three-dimensional (3D) matrix properties on the morphogenesis of iPSC remains elusive. Methods In this work, we employ gelatin-based thiol-norbornene photo-click hydrogels for in situ 3D differentiation of human iPSCs into pancreatic progenitors (PP). Molecular analysis and single cell RNA-sequencing were utilized to elucidate on the distinct identities of subpopulations within the 2D and 3D differentiated cells. Results We found that, while established soluble cues led to predominately PP cells in 2D culture, differentiation of iPSCs using the same soluble factors led to prominent branching morphogenesis, ductal network formation, and generation of diverse endoderm populations. Through single-cell RNA-sequencing, we found that 3D differentiation resulted in enrichments of pan-endodermal cells and ductal cells. We further noted the emergence of a group of extraembryonic cells in 3D, which was absent in 2D differentiation. The unexpected emergence of extraembryonic cells in 3D was found to be associated with enrichment of Wnt and BMP signaling pathways, which may have contributed to the emergence of diverse cell populations. The expressions of PP signature genes PDX1 and NKX6.1 were restored through inhibition of Wnt signaling at the beginning of the posterior foregut stage. Conclusions To our knowledge, this work established the first 3D hydrogel system for in situ differentiation of human iPSCs into PPs. Ongoing work focuses on enhancing pancreatic differentiation efficiency through modulating physicochemical properties of the iPSC-laden matrices.

Encapsulation of stem-cell derived β-cells: A promising approach for the treatment for type 1 diabetes mellitus

Type 1 diabetes mellitus is an auto-immune disease causing the T-cell mediated destruction of insulin-producing β-cells, resulting in chronic hyperglycemia. Current treatments such as insulin replacement therapy or the transplantation of pancreas or pancreatic islets present major disadvantages such as the constant need of drugs, as well as a shortage of donor organs. In this review, we discuss a sustainable solution to overcome these limitations combining the use of β-cells, derived from stem cells, and their encapsulation within a protective matrix. This article provides an exhaustive overview of currently investigated stem cell sources including embryonic, mesenchymal as well as induced pluripotent stem cells in combination with various up to date encapsulation methods allowing the formation of immuno-protective devices. In order to identify current limitations of this interdisciplinary therapeutic approach and to find sustainable solutions, it is essential to consider key aspects from all involved domains. This includes biological parameters such as the stem cell origin but also the different aspects of the encapsulation process, the used materials and their physico-chemical properties such as elasticity, porosity and permeability cut-off as well as the best implantation sites allowing efficient and self-autonomous control of glycemia by the transplanted encapsulated cells.

Hyperglycemic Conditions Enhance the Mechanosensitivity of Proinflammatory RAW264.7 Macrophages

Macrophages are a primary contributor to the orchestration and severity of the foreign body response. As phagocytes and antigen-presenting cells, macrophages engage foreign objects, producing chemokines, degrading enzymes, and proinflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Encapsulated islet transplantation (EIT) is a return of function therapy in which donor insulin-secreting cells are encased in a biomaterial and implanted into a diabetic patient to regulate blood glucose levels. However, the foreign body response by macrophages to the encapsulated islet allograft may cause rejection. Recent studies have shown that substrate stiffness affects macrophage activity, which can inform EIT capsule design. However, due to the dysregulation of glucose maintenance in diabetic patients, varying from normoglycemic to hypoglycemic or hyperglycemic conditions, it is imperative to determine if glucose dysregulation affects macrophage mechanosensitivity to EIT biomaterials. This study explores the relationship between glucose metabolism and mechanosensitivity and the ultimate impact on proinflammatory macrophage function in static hyperglycemic and normoglycemic conditions. Using a 2-dimensional (2D) polyacrylamide model of 3-order magnitude in stiffness, 2, 15, and 274 kPa Young's moduli, the effect of glycemic condition on the mechanosensitive characteristics of unstimulated and proinflammatory RAW264.7 macrophage function in vitro using lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was examined. Hyperglycemic conditions were found to impact macrophage response to substrate stiffness significantly. Notably, TNF-α secretion was significantly reduced as substrate stiffness increased in LPS-stimulated hyperglycemic conditions, whereas normoglycemic macrophages held similar secretion across all stiffnesses. Stiffness-influenced differences in cytokine secretion were also induced in IL-6 secretion by hyperglycemic conditions. Hyperglycemic conditions promoted a biphasic trend in IL-6 cytokine secretion and gene expression by proinflammatory macrophages with significantly decreased production when cultured on 15 kPa compared to production on 2 and 274 kPa. Although hyperglycemic conditions drastically increased IL-10 secretion, stiffness-influenced differences were not shown when compared to the same glycemic condition. Furthermore, under LPS stimulation, lactate secretion had an inverse relationship to TNF-α secretion. However, no significant stiffness-influenced difference was demonstrated in glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) expression, glucose uptake, or GAPDH. These findings suggest that hyperglycemic conditions enhance the mechanosensitivity of proinflammatory macrophages and should be explored further. Impact statement The work presented increases our understanding of the effect of glycemic condition on macrophage mechanosensitivity related to substrate stiffness. This has ramifications on the design of material-based therapies, such as encapsulated islet transplantation, for type 1 diabetic patients who experience glycemic dysregulation.

Advances in polymer-based cell encapsulation and its applications in tissue repair

Cell microencapsulation is a more widely accepted area of biological encapsulation. In most cases, it involves fixing cells in polymer scaffolds or semi-permeable hydrogel capsules, providing the environment for protecting cells, allowing the exchange of nutrients and oxygen, and protecting cells against the attack of the host immune system by preventing the entry of antibodies and cytotoxic immune cells. Hydrogel encapsulation provides a three-dimensional (3D) environment similar to that experienced in vivo, so it can maintain normal cellular functions to produce tissues similar to those in vivo. Embedded cells can be genetically modified to release specific therapeutic products directly at the target site, thereby eliminating the side effects of systemic treatments. Cellular microcarriers need to meet many extremely high standards regarding their biocompatibility, cytocompatibility, immunoseparation capacity, transport, mechanical, and chemical properties. In this article, we discuss the biopolymer gels used in tissue engineering applications and the brief introduction of cell encapsulation for therapeutic protein production. Also, we review polymer biomaterials and methods for preparing cell microcarriers for biomedical applications. At the same time, in order to improve the application performance of cell microcarriers in vivo, we also summarize the main limitations and improvement strategies of cell encapsulation. Finally, the main applications of polymer cell microcarriers in regenerative medicine are summarized.

Heparinized Gelatin-Based Hydrogels for Differentiation of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Chemically defined hydrogels are increasingly utilized to define the effects of extracellular matrix (ECM) components on cellular fate determination of human embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cell (hESC and hiPSCs). In particular, hydrogels cross-linked by orthogonal click chemistry, including thiol-norbornene photopolymerization and inverse electron demand Diels–Alder (iEDDA) reactions, are explored for 3D culture of hESC/hiPSCs owing to the specificity, efficiency, cytocompatibility, and modularity of the cross-linking reactions. In this work, we exploited the modularity of thiol-norbornene photopolymerization to create a biomimetic hydrogel platform for 3D culture and differentiation of hiPSCs. A cell-adhesive, protease-labile, and cross-linkable gelatin derivative, gelatin-norbornene (GelNB), was used as the backbone polymer for constructing hiPSC-laden biomimetic hydrogels. GelNB was further heparinized via the iEDDA click reaction using tetrazine-modified heparin (HepTz), creating GelNB-Hep. GelNB or GelNB-Hep was modularly cross-linked with either inert macromer poly(ethylene glycol)-tetra-thiol (PEG4SH) or another bioactive macromer-thiolated hyaluronic acid (THA). The formulations of these hydrogels were modularly tuned to afford biomimetic matrices with similar elastic moduli but varying bioactive components, enabling the understanding of each bioactive component on supporting hiPSC growth and ectodermal, mesodermal, and endodermal fate commitment under identical soluble differentiation cues.

Pushing the Natural Frontier: Progress on the Integration of Biomaterial Cues toward Combinatorial Biofabrication and Tissue Engineering

The engineering of fully functional, biological-like tissues requires biomaterials to direct cellular events to a near-native, 3D niche extent. Natural biomaterials are generally seen as a safe option for cell support, but their biocompatibility and biodegradability can be just as limited as their bioactive/biomimetic performance. Furthermore, integrating different biomaterial cues and their final impact on cellular behavior is a complex equation where the outcome might be very different from the sum of individual parts. This review critically analyses recent progress on biomaterial-induced cellular responses, from simple adhesion to more complex stem cell differentiation, looking at the ever-growing possibilities of natural materials modification. Starting with a discussion on native material formulation and the inclusion of cell-instructive cues, the roles of shape and mechanical stimuli, the susceptibility to cellular remodeling, and the often-overlooked impact of cellular density and cell-cell interactions within constructs, are delved into. Along the way, synergistic and antagonistic combinations reported in vitro and in vivo are singled out, identifying needs and current lessons on the development of natural biomaterial libraries to solve the cell-material puzzle efficiently. This review brings together knowledge from different fields envisioning next-generation, combinatorial biomaterial development toward complex tissue engineering.

Stem Cell Transplantation in the Treatment of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: From Insulin Replacement to Beta-Cell Replacement

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is an autoimmune disease that attacks pancreatic β-cells, leading to the destruction of insulitis-related islet β-cells. Islet β-cell transplantation has been proven as a curative measure in T1DM. However, a logarithmic increase in the global population with diabetes, limited donor supply, and the need for lifelong immunosuppression restrict the widespread use of β-cell transplantation. Numerous therapeutic approaches have been taken to search for substitutes of β-cells, among which stem cell transplantation is one of the most promising alternatives. Stem cells have demonstrated the potential efficacy to treat T1DM by reconstitution of immunotolerance and preservation of islet β-cell function in recent research. cGMP-grade stem cell products have been used in human clinical trials, showing that stem cell transplantation has beneficial effects on T1DM, with no obvious adverse reactions. To better achieve remission of T1DM by stem cell transplantation, in this work, we explain the progression of stem cell transplantation such as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), and bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells (BM-HSCs) to restore the immunotolerance and preserve the islet β-cell function of T1DM in recent years. This review article provides evidence of the clinical applications of stem cell therapy in the treatment of T1DM.

Freeform 3D Bioprinting Involving Ink Gelation by Cascade Reaction of Oxidase and Peroxidase: A Feasibility Study Using Hyaluronic Acid-Based Ink

Freeform bioprinting, realized by extruding ink-containing cells into supporting materials to provide physical support during printing, has fostered significant advances toward the fabrication of cell-laden soft hydrogel constructs with desired spatial control. For further advancement of freeform bioprinting, we aimed to propose a method in which the ink embedded in supporting materials gelate through a cytocompatible and rapid cascade reaction between oxidase and peroxidase. To demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed method, we extruded ink containing choline, horseradish peroxidase (HRP), and a hyaluronic acid derivative, cross-linkable by HRP-catalyzed reaction, into a supporting material containing choline oxidase and successfully obtained three-dimensional hyaluronic acid-based hydrogel constructs with good shape fidelity to blueprints. Cytocompatibility of the bioprinting method was confirmed by the comparable growth of mouse fibroblast cells, released from the printed hydrogels through degradation on cell culture dishes, with those not exposed to the printing process, and considering more than 85% viability of the enclosed cells during 10 days of culture. Owing to the presence of derivatives of the various biocompatible polymers that are cross-linkable through HRP-mediated cross-linking, our results demonstrate that the novel 3D bioprinting method has great potential in tissue engineering applications.

Bioactive hydrogel microcapsules for guiding stem cell fate decisions by release and reloading of growth factors

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSC) hold considerable promise as a source of adult cells for treatment of diseases ranging from diabetes to liver failure. Some of the challenges that limit the clinical/translational impact of hPSCs are high cost and difficulty in scaling-up of existing differentiation protocols. In this paper, we sought to address these challenges through the development of bioactive microcapsules. A co-axial flow focusing microfluidic device was used to encapsulate hPSCs in microcapsules comprised of an aqueous core and a hydrogel shell. Importantly, the shell contained heparin moieties for growth factor (GF) binding and release. The aqueous core enabled rapid aggregation of hPSCs into 3D spheroids while the bioactive hydrogel shell was used to load inductive cues driving pluripotency maintenance and endodermal differentiation. Specifically, we demonstrated that one-time, 1 h long loading of pluripotency signals, fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-2 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, into bioactive microcapsules was sufficient to induce and maintain pluripotency of hPSCs over the course of 5 days at levels similar to or better than a standard protocol with soluble GFs. Furthermore, stem cell-carrying microcapsules that previously contained pluripotency signals could be reloaded with an endodermal cue, Nodal, resulting in higher levels of endodermal markers compared to stem cells differentiated in a standard protocol. Overall, bioactive heparin-containing core-shell microcapsules decreased GF usage five-fold while improving stem cell phenotype and are well suited for 3D cultivation of hPSCs.

•

Heparin-containing microcapsules enable sustained release of inductive cues (growth factors) over the course of seven to nine days.

•

Heparin-growth factor binding is reversible which means that different growth factors may be loaded in a sequential manner.

•

Loading inductive cues into microcapsules results in better differentiation of pluripotent stem cells.

•

Loading inductive cues into microcapsules allows to decrease the usage of growth factors by several fold.

Cell therapy research for Diabetes: Pancreatic β cell differentiation from pluripotent stem cells

Human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs), both embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), have been differentiated into pancreatic β isletsin vitrofor more than a decade. The idea is to get enough β cells for cell transplantation for diabetics. Finding a standard cell therapy for diabetes is essential because of the logarithmic increase in the global population of people with diabetes and the insufficient availability of the human cadaveric pancreas. Moreover, with better insights into developmental biology, thein vitroβ cell differentiation protocols have depended on thein vivoβ cell organogenesis. Various protocols for pancreatic β cell differentiation have been developed. Such protocols are based on the modulation of cell signalling pathways with growth factors, small molecules, RNAi approaches, directed differentiation using transcription factors, genome editing. Growth factor free differentiation protocols, epigenetic modulations, 3D differentiation approaches, and encapsulation strategies have also been reported for better glycemic control and endocrine modulations. Here, we have reviewed various aforementionedin vitroβ cell differentiation protocols from human PSCs, their respective comparisons, challenges, past, present, and future. The literature has been reviewed primarily from PubMed from the year 2000 till date using the mentioned keywords.

Single-Cell Microgels for Diagnostics and Therapeutics

Cell encapsulation within hydrogel droplets is transforming what is feasible in multiple fields of biomedical science such as tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, in vitro modeling, and cell-based therapies. Recent advances have allowed researchers to miniaturize material encapsulation complexes down to single-cell scales, where each complex, termed a single-cell microgel, contains only one cell surrounded by a hydrogel matrix while remaining <100 μm in size. With this achievement, studies requiring single-cell resolution are now possible, similar to those done using liquid droplet encapsulation. Of particular note, applications involving long-term in vitro cultures, modular bioinks, high-throughput screenings, and formation of 3D cellular microenvironments can be tuned independently to suit the needs of individual cells and experimental goals. In this progress report, an overview of established materials and techniques used to fabricate single-cell microgels, as well as insight into potential alternatives is provided. This focused review is concluded by discussing applications that have already benefited from single-cell microgel technologies, as well as prospective applications on the cusp of achieving important new capabilities.

An Overview of Engineered Hydrogel-Based Biomaterials for Improved β-Cell Survival and Insulin Secretion

Islet transplantation provides a promising strategy in treating type 1 diabetes as an autoimmune disease, in which damaged β-cells are replaced with new islets in a minimally invasive procedure. Although islet transplantation avoids the complications associated with whole pancreas transplantations, its clinical applications maintain significant drawbacks, including long-term immunosuppression, a lack of compatible donors, and blood-mediated inflammatory responses. Biomaterial-assisted islet transplantation is an emerging technology that embeds desired cells into biomaterials, which are then directly transplanted into the patient, overcoming the aforementioned challenges. Among various biomaterials, hydrogels are the preferred biomaterial of choice in these transplants due to their ECM-like structure and tunable properties. This review aims to present a comprehensive overview of hydrogel-based biomaterials that are engineered for encapsulation of insulin-secreting cells, focusing on new hydrogel design and modification strategies to improve β-cell viability, decrease inflammatory responses, and enhance insulin secretion. We will discuss the current status of clinical studies using therapeutic bioengineering hydrogels in insulin release and prospective approaches.

Cell microencapsulation technologies for sustained drug delivery: Latest advances in efficacy and biosafety

The development of cell microencapsulation systems began several decades ago. However, today few systems have been tested in clinical trials. For this reason, in the last years, researchers have directed efforts towards trying to solve some of the key aspects that still limit efficacy and biosafety, the two major criteria that must be satisfied to reach the clinical practice. Regarding the efficacy, which is closely related to biocompatibility, substantial improvements have been made, such as the purification or chemical modification of the alginates that normally form the microspheres. Each of the components that make up the microcapsules has been carefully selected to avoid toxicities that can damage the encapsulated cells or generate an immune response leading to pericapsular fibrosis. As for the biosafety, researchers have developed biological circuits capable of actively responding to the needs of the patients to precisely and accurately release the demanded drug dose. Furthermore, the structure of the devices has been subject of study to adequately protect the encapsulated cells and prevent their spread in the body. The objective of this review is to describe the latest advances made by scientist to improve the efficacy and biosafety of cell microencapsulation systems for sustained drug delivery, also highlighting those points that still need to be optimized.

Engineering Biophysical Cues for Controlled 3D Differentiation of Endoderm Derivatives

Biophysical cues synergize with biochemical cues to drive differentiation of pluripotent stem cells through specific phenotypic trajectory. Tools to manipulate the cell biophysical environment and identify the influence of specific environment perturbation in the presence of combinatorial inputs will be critical to control the development trajectory. Here we describe the procedure to perturb biophysical environment of pluripotent stem cells while maintaining them in 3D culture configuration. We also discuss a high-throughput platform for combinatorial perturbation of the cell microenvironment, and detail a statistical procedure to extract dominant environmental influences.

Response of Pluripotent Stem Cells to Environmental Stress and Its Application for Directed Differentiation

Simple Summary

Environmental changes in oxygen concentration, temperature, and mechanical stimulation lead to the activation of specific transcriptional factors and induce the expression of each downstream gene. In general, these responses are protective machinery against such environmental stresses, while these transcriptional factors also regulate cell proliferation, differentiation, and organ development in mammals. In the case of pluripotent stem cells, similar response mechanisms normally work and sometimes stimulate the differentiation cues. Up to now, differentiation protocols utilizing such environmental stresses have been reported to obtain various types of somatic cells from pluripotent stem cells. Basically, environmental stresses as hypoxia (low oxygen), hyperoxia, (high oxygen) and mechanical stress from cell culture plates are relatively safer than chemicals and gene transfers, which affect the genome irreversibly. Therefore, protocols designed with such environments in mind could be useful for the technology development of cell therapy and regenerative medicine. In this manuscript, we summarize recent findings of environmental stress-induced differentiation protocols and discuss their mechanisms.

Abstract

Pluripotent stem cells have unique characteristics compared to somatic cells. In this review, we summarize the response to environmental stresses (hypoxic, oxidative, thermal, and mechanical stresses) in embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and their applications in the differentiation methods directed to specific lineages. Those stresses lead to activation of each specific transcription factor followed by the induction of downstream genes, and one of them regulates lineage specification. In short, hypoxic stress promotes the differentiation of ESCs to mesodermal lineages via HIF-1α activation. Concerning mechanical stress, high stiffness tends to promote mesodermal differentiation, while low stiffness promotes ectodermal differentiation via the modulation of YAP1. Furthermore, each step in the same lineage differentiation favors each appropriate stiffness of culture plate; for example, definitive endoderm favors high stiffness, while pancreatic progenitor favors low stiffness during pancreatic differentiation of human ESCs. Overall, treatments utilizing those stresses have no genotoxic or carcinogenic effects except oxidative stress; therefore, the differentiated cells are safe and could be useful for cell replacement therapy. In particular, the effect of mechanical stress on differentiation is becoming attractive for the field of regenerative medicine. Therefore, the development of a stress-mediated differentiation protocol is an important matter for the future.

Effect of alginate matrix engineered to mimic the pancreatic microenvironment on encapsulated islet function

Islet transplantation is emerging as a therapeutic option for type 1 diabetes, albeit, only a small number of patients meeting very stringent criteria are eligible for the treatment because of the side effects of the necessary immunosuppressive therapy and the relatively short time frame of normoglycemia that most patients achieve. The challenge of the immune-suppressive regimen can be overcome through microencapsulation of the islets in a perm-selective coating of alginate microbeads with poly-l-lysine or poly- l-ornithine. In addition to other issues including the nutrient supply challenge of encapsulated islets a critical requirement for these cells has emerged as the need to engineer the microenvironment of the encapsulation matrix to mimic that of the native pancreatic scaffold that houses islet cells. That microenvironment includes biological and mechanical cues that support the viability and function of the cells. In this study, the alginate hydrogel was modified to mimic the pancreatic microenvironment by incorporation of extracellular matrix (ECM). Mechanical and biological changes in the encapsulating alginate matrix were made through stiffness modulation and incorporation of decellularized ECM, respectively. Islets were then encapsulated in this new biomimetic hydrogel and their insulin production was measured after 7 days in vitro. We found that manipulation of the alginate hydrogel matrix to simulate both physical and biological cues for the encapsulated islets enhances the mechanical strength of the encapsulated islet constructs as well as their function. Our data suggest that these modifications have the potential to improve the success rate of encapsulated islet transplantation.

Dynamic Click Hydrogels for Xeno-Free Culture of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Xeno-free, chemically defined poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-based hydrogels are being increasingly used for in vitro culture and differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). These synthetic matrices provide tunable gelation and adaptable material properties crucial for guiding stem cell fate. Here, sequential norbornene-click chemistries are integrated to form synthetic, dynamically tunable PEG-peptide hydrogels for hiPSCs culture and differentiation. Specifically, hiPSCs are photoencapsulated in thiol-norbornene hydrogels crosslinked by multiarm PEG-norbornene (PEG-NB) and proteaselabile crosslinkers. These matrices are used to evaluate hiPSC growth under the influence of extracellular matrix properties. Tetrazine-norbornene (Tz-NB) click reaction is then employed to dynamically stiffen the cell-laden hydrogels. Fast reactive Tz and its stable derivative methyltetrazine (mTz) are tethered to multiarm PEG, yielding mono-functionalized PEG-Tz, PEG-mTz, and dualfunctionalized PEG-Tz/mTz that react with PEG-NB to form additional crosslinks in the cell-laden hydrogels. The versatility of Tz-NB stiffening is demonstrated with different Tz-modified macromers or by intermittent incubation of PEG-Tz for temporal stiffening. Finally, the Tz-NB-mediated dynamic stiffening is explored for 4D culture and definitive endoderm differentiation of hiPSCs. Overall, this dynamic hydrogel platform affords exquisite controls of hydrogel crosslinking for serving as a xeno-free and dynamic stem cell niche.

Polymer microcapsules and microbeads as cell carriers for in vivo biomedical applications

Polymer microcarriers are being extensively explored as cell delivery vehicles in cell-based therapies and hybrid tissue and organ engineering. Spherical microcarriers are of particular interest due to easy fabrication and injectability. They include microbeads, composed of a porous matrix, and microcapsules, where matrix core is additionally covered with a semipermeable membrane. Microcarriers provide cell containment at implantation site and protect the cells from host immunoresponse, degradation and shear stress. Immobilized cells may be genetically altered to release a specific therapeutic product directly at the target site, eliminating side effects of systemic therapies. Cell microcarriers need to fulfil a number of extremely high standards regarding their biocompatibility, cytocompatibility, immunoisolating capacity, transport, mechanical and chemical properties. To obtain cell microcarriers of specified parameters, a wide variety of polymers, both natural and synthetic, and immobilization methods can be applied. Yet so far, only a few approaches based on cell-laden microcarriers have reached clinical trials. The main issue that still impedes progress of these systems towards clinical application is limited cell survival in vivo. Herein, we review polymer biomaterials and methods used for fabrication of cell microcarriers for in vivo biomedical applications. We describe their key limitations and modifications aiming at improvement of microcarrier in vivo performance. We also present the main applications of polymer cell microcarriers in regenerative medicine, pancreatic islet and hepatocyte transplantation and in the treatment of cancer. Lastly, we outline the main challenges in cell microimmobilization for biomedical purposes, the strategies to overcome these issues and potential future improvements in this area.

Organ-specific ECM arrays for investigating Cell-ECM interactions during stem cell differentiation

Pluripotent stem cells are promising source of cells for tissue engineering, regenerative medicine and drug discovery applications. The process of stem cell differentiation is regulated by multi-parametric cues from the surrounding microenvironment, one of the critical one being cell interaction with extracellular matrix (ECM). The ECM is a complex tissue-specific structure which are important physiological regulators of stem cell function and fate. Recapitulating this native ECM microenvironment niche is best facilitated by decellularized tissue/ organ derived ECM, which can faithfully reproduce the physiological environment with high fidelity to in vivo condition and promote tissue-specific cellular development and maturation. Recognizing the need for organ specific ECM in a 3D culture environment in driving phenotypic differentiation and maturation of hPSCs, we fabricated an ECM array platform using native-mimicry ECM from decellularized organs (namely pancreas, liver and heart), which allows cell-ECM interactions in both 2D and 3D configuration. The ECM array was integrated with rapid quantitative imaging for a systematic investigation of matrix protein profiles and sensitive measurement of cell-ECM interaction during hPSC differentiation. We tested our platform by elucidating the role of the three different organ-specific ECM in supporting induced pancreatic differentiation of hPSCs. While the focus of this report is on pancreatic differentiation, the developed platform is versatile to be applied to characterize any lineage specific differentiation.

Developmentally-Inspired Biomimetic Culture Models to Produce Functional Islet-Like Cells From Pluripotent Precursors

Insulin-producing beta cells sourced from pluripotent stem cells hold great potential as a virtually unlimited cell source to treat diabetes. Directed pancreatic differentiation protocols aim to mimic various stimuli present during embryonic development through sequential changes of in vitro culture conditions. This is commonly accomplished by the timed addition of soluble signaling factors, in conjunction with cell-handling steps such as the formation of 3D cell aggregates. Interestingly, when stem cells at the pancreatic progenitor stage are transplanted, they form functional insulin-producing cells, suggesting that in vivo microenvironmental cues promote beta cell specification. Among these cues, biophysical stimuli have only recently emerged in the context of optimizing pancreatic differentiation protocols. This review focuses on studies of cell–microenvironment interactions and their impact on differentiating pancreatic cells when considering cell signaling, cell–cell and cell–ECM interactions. We highlight the development of in vitro cell culture models that allow systematic studies of pancreatic cell mechanobiology in response to extracellular matrix proteins, biomechanical effects, soluble factor modulation of biomechanics, substrate stiffness, fluid flow and topography. Finally, we explore how these new mechanical insights could lead to novel pancreatic differentiation protocols that improve efficiency, maturity, and throughput.

Engineered peptide modified hydrogel platform for propagation of human pluripotent stem cells

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) have enormous potential to alleviate cell needs for regenerative medicine, however these cells require expansion in cell colonies to maintain cell-cell contact, thus limiting the scalability needed to meet the demands of cell therapy. While the use of a Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK) inhibitor will allow for culture of single cell hPSCs, typically only 50% of cells are recovered after dissociation. When hPSCs lose cell-cell contact through E-cadherin, dissociation induced apoptosis occurs. In this study, we hypothesized that the extracellular E-cadherin domain of hPSCs will bind to synthetic E-cadherin peptides presented on a hydrogel substrate, mimicking the required cell-cell contact and thereby retaining single-cell viability and clonogenicity. Hence, the objective of this study was to functionalize alginate hydrogels with synthetic peptides mimicking E-cadherin and evaluate peptide performance in promoting cell attachment, viability, maintaining pluripotency, and differentiation potential. We observed that alginate conjugated with synthetic E-cadherin peptides not only supported initial cell attachment with high viability, but also supported hPSC propagation and high fold expansion. hPSCs propagated on the peptide modified substrates maintained the hPSC characteristic pluripotency and differentiation potential, characterized by both spontaneous and directed differentiation. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) have enormous potential to alleviate cell needs for regenerative medicine and cell therapy. However, scalable culture of hPSCs is challenged by its need for maintenance of cell-cell contact, dissociation of which triggers the apoptotic pathway. Hence hPSCs are commonly maintained as colonies over Matrigel coated culture plates. Furthermore, use of xenogenic and undefined Matrigel compromises the translational potential of hPSCs. In this work we have developed a completely defined substrate to enable adherent culture of hPSCs as single cells. This substrate prevents apoptosis of the single cells and allows significant fold expansion of hPSCs while maintaining pluripotency and differentiation potential. The developed substrate is expected to be a cost-effective and translatable alternative to Matrigel.

Integrative protocols for an in vitro generation of pancreatic progenitors from human dental pulp stem cells

Efficiency of the induction protocol is crucial for the generation of insulin-producing cells (IPCs) from human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs). Here, we established the integrative induction protocol by merging genetic manipulation technique with our previous published 3-step induction protocol aiming to enhance the pancreatic progenitor commitment and production yield. We found that the overexpression of PDX1 following with 3-step induction protocol were able to generate the 3-dimensional (3D) colony structure of pancreatic progenitors (PPs) with the beneficial trends of pancreatic endoderm commitment and production yield, while other protocols using the prolong maintenance of PDX1-overexpressed hDPSCs and the PDX1 overexpression after definitive endoderm induction were unable to generate and sustain the 3D structure of the colonies. Further Notch signaling manipulation by DAPT treatment showed lesser degree of positive effects on progenitor commitment and production yield. Although the generated PPs from the integrative protocol expressed pancreatic mRNA markers along with pro-insulin and insulin proteins, they still contained the defective glucose-responsive C-peptide secretion. Only basal secreted C-peptide level was observed. In summary, the integrative induction protocol potentially enhanced the PP generation with high colony production yield and could serve as an efficient platform for further hDPSC-derived IPC production and maturation.

Alginate Microencapsulation for Three-Dimensional In Vitro Cell Culture

Advances in microscale 3D cell culture systems have helped to elucidate cellular physiology, understand mechanisms of stem cell differentiation, produce pathophysiological models, and reveal important cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. An important consideration for such studies is the choice of material for encapsulating cells and associated extracellular matrix (ECM). This Review focuses on the use of alginate hydrogels, which are versatile owing to their simple gelation process following an ionic cross-linking mechanism in situ, with no need for procedures that can be potentially toxic to cells, such as heating, the use of solvents, and UV exposure. This Review aims to give some perspectives, particularly to researchers who typically work more with poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS), on the use of alginate as an alternative material to construct microphysiological cell culture systems. More specifically, this Review describes how physicochemical characteristics of alginate hydrogels can be tuned with regards to their biocompatibility, porosity, mechanical strength, ligand presentation, and biodegradability. A number of cell culture applications are also described, and these are subcategorized according to whether the alginate material is used to homogeneously embed cells, to micropattern multiple cellular microenvironments, or to provide an outer shell that creates a space in the core for cells and other ECM components. The Review ends with perspectives on future challenges and opportunities for 3D cell culture applications.

Targeted induction of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells to have effectiveness on diabetic pancreatic restoration

Although bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) have been reported to be effective for the attenuation of diabetes, they have limitations. Whether BMSCs can be target-induced by pancreatic stem cells (PSCs) to have effectiveness for the restoration of diabetic islet injury was unknown. In this study, based on their successful isolation and cultivation, BMSCs were co-cultured with PSCs. The pancreatic stem cells markers, Nestin and Neurogenin3 in co-cultured BMSCs were detected to evaluate the target-induction effects. After the diabetic rats were intravenously injected with the target-induced BMSCs, general indicators and islet morphology were detected. The islet insulin generation, and serum insulin and C-peptide contents were measured. It was found that after co-culture, the mRNA expressions, protein contents and distributions of Nestin and Neurogenin3, were dramatically high in BMSCs, indicating that they were successfully target-induced to pancreatic stem-like cells. Furthermore, the target-induced BMSCs had beneficial effects on serum glycated albumin levels and glycogen contents as well as islet morphology of the diabetic rats. Besides elevation of islet insulin generation, the target-induced BMSCs had significant effect on serum insulin and C-peptide contents. In conclusion, BMSCs could be target-induced by PSCs to have effectiveness on the pancreatic restoration of diabetic rats.

The Use of Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Organoids to Study Extracellular Matrix Development during Neural Degeneration

The mechanism that causes the Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathologies, including amyloid plaque, neurofibrillary tangles, and neuron death, is not well understood due to the lack of robust study models for human brain. Three-dimensional organoid systems based on human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) have shown a promising potential to model neurodegenerative diseases, including AD. These systems, in combination with engineering tools, allow in vitro generation of brain-like tissues that recapitulate complex cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions. Brain ECMs play important roles in neural differentiation, proliferation, neuronal network, and AD progression. In this contribution related to brain ECMs, recent advances in modeling AD pathology and progression based on hPSC-derived neural cells, tissues, and brain organoids were reviewed and summarized. In addition, the roles of ECMs in neural differentiation of hPSCs and the influences of heparan sulfate proteoglycans, chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans, and hyaluronic acid on the progression of neurodegeneration were discussed. The advantages that use stem cell-based organoids to study neural degeneration and to investigate the effects of ECM development on the disease progression were highlighted. The contents of this article are significant for understanding cell-matrix interactions in stem cell microenvironment for treating neural degeneration.

Oxygenation strategies for encapsulated islet and beta cell transplants

Human allogeneic islet transplantation (ITx) is emerging as a promising treatment option for qualified patients with type 1 diabetes. However, widespread clinical application of allogeneic ITx is hindered by two critical barriers: the need for systemic immunosuppression and the limited supply of human islet tissue. Biocompatible, retrievable immunoisolation devices containing glucose-responsive insulin-secreting tissue may address both critical barriers by enabling the more effective and efficient use of allogeneic islets without immunosuppression in the near-term, and ultimately the use of a cell source with a virtually unlimited supply, such as human stem cell-derived β-cells or xenogeneic (porcine) islets with minimal or no immunosuppression. However, even though encapsulation methods have been developed and immunoprotection has been successfully tested in small and large animal models and to a limited extent in proof-of-concept clinical studies, the effective use of encapsulation approaches to convincingly and consistently treat diabetes in humans has yet to be demonstrated. There is increasing consensus that inadequate oxygen supply is a major factor limiting their clinical translation and routine implementation. Poor oxygenation negatively affects cell viability and β-cell function, and the problem is exacerbated with the high-density seeding required for reasonably-sized clinical encapsulation devices. Approaches for enhanced oxygen delivery to encapsulated tissues in implantable devices are therefore being actively developed and tested. This review summarizes fundamental aspects of islet microarchitecture and β-cell physiology as well as encapsulation approaches highlighting the need for adequate oxygenation; it also evaluates existing and emerging approaches for enhanced oxygen delivery to encapsulation devices, particularly with the advent of β-cell sources from stem cells that may enable the large-scale application of this approach.

Biomaterial Engineering for Controlling Pluripotent Stem Cell Fate

Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) represent an exciting cell source for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine due to their self-renewal and differentiation capacities. The majority of current PSC protocols rely on 2D cultures and soluble factors to guide differentiation; however, many other environmental signals are beginning to be explored using biomaterial platforms. Biomaterials offer new opportunities to engineer the stem cell niches and 3D environments for exploring biophysical and immobilized signaling cues to further our control over stem cell fate. Here, we review the biomaterial platforms that have been engineered to control PSC fate. We explore how altering immobilized biochemical cues and biophysical cues such as dimensionality, stiffness, and topography can enhance our control over stem cell fates. Finally, we highlight biomaterial culture systems that assist in the translation of PSC technologies for clinical applications.

Current status of stem cell therapy, scaffolds for the treatment of diabetes mellitus

Diabetes mellitus (DM) remains the 7th leading cause of death in the world. Daily insulin injection is one component of a treatment plan for people with Diabetes mellitus type 1 (T1DM) that restores normal or near-normal blood sugar levels. However, Insulin treatment depends upon a variety of individual factors and leads to poor and drastic glycemic control. The need for an effective cell replacement strategy will be the aim of future clinical trials. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review is to outline the latest advances in scaffolding and stem cell therapy as a non-pharmacologic treatment for T1DM. It also emphasizes on some pancreas differentiation protocols and the clinical trials associated with stem cell therapy regarding T1DM in vitro and in vivo.

Structural changes in alginate-based microspheres exposed to in vivo environment as revealed by confocal Raman microscopy

A next-generation cure for type 1 diabetes relies on immunoprotection of insulin-producing cells, which can be achieved by their encapsulation in microspheres made of non-covalently crosslinked hydrogels. Treatment success is directly related to the microsphere structure that is characterized by the localization of the polymers constituting the hydrogel material. However, due to the lack of a suitable analytical method, it is presently unknown how the microsphere structure changes in vivo, which complicates evaluation of different encapsulation approaches. Here, confocal Raman microscopy (CRM) imaging was tailored to serve as a powerful new tool for tracking structural changes in two major encapsulation designs, alginate-based microbeads and multi-component microcapsules. CRM analyses before implantation and after explantation from a mouse model revealed complete loss of the original heterogeneous structure in the alginate microbeads, making the intentionally high initial heterogeneity a questionable design choice. On the other hand, the structural heterogeneity was conserved in the microcapsules, which indicates that this design will better retain its immunoprotective properties in vivo. In another application, CRM was used for quantitative mapping of the alginate concentration throughout the microbead volume. Such data provide invaluable information about the microenvironment cells would encounter upon their encapsulation in alginate microbeads.

The role of osmolarity adjusting agents in the regulation of encapsulated cell behavior to provide a safer and more predictable delivery of therapeutics

Transplantation of cells within alginate microspheres has been extensively studied for sustained drug delivery. However, the lack of control over cell behavior represents a major concern regarding the efficacy and the safety of the therapy. Here, we demonstrated that when formulating the biosystem, an adequate selection of osmolarity adjusting agents significantly contributes to the regulation of cell responses. Our data showed that these agents interact in the capsule formation process, influencing the alginate crosslinking degree. Therefore, when selecting inert or electrolyte-based osmolarity adjusting agents to encapsulate D1 multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), alginate microcapsules with differing mechanical properties were obtained. Since mechanical forces acting on cells influence their behavior, contrasting cell responses were observed both, in vitro and in vivo. When employing mannitol as an inert osmolarity adjusting agent, microcapsules presented a more permissive matrix, allowing a tumoral-like behavior. This resulted in the formation of enormous cell-aggregates that presented necrotic cores and protruding peripheral cells, rendering the therapy unpredictable, dysfunctional, and unsafe. Conversely, the use of electrolyte osmolarity adjusting agents, including calcium or sodium, provided the capsule with a suitable crosslinking degree that established a tight control over cell proliferation and enabled an adequate therapeutic regimen in vivo. The crucial impact of these agents was confirmed when gene expression studies reported pivotal divergences not only in proliferative pathways, but also in genes involved in survival, migration, and differentiation. Altogether, our results prove osmolarity adjusting agents as an effective tool to regulate cell behavior and obtain safer and more predictable therapies.

Tunable injectable alginate-based hydrogel for cell therapy in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

Islet transplantation has the potential of reestablishing naturally-regulated insulin production in Type 1 diabetic patients. Nevertheless, this procedure is limited due to the low islet survival after transplantation and the lifelong immunosuppression to avoid rejection. Islet embedding within a biocompatible matrix provides mechanical protection and a physical barrier against the immune system thus, increasing islet survival. Alginate is the preferred biomaterial used for embedding insulin-producing cells because of its biocompatibility, low toxicity and ease of gelation. However, alginate gelation is poorly controlled, affecting its physicochemical properties as an injectable biomaterial. Including different concentrations of the phosphate salt Na₂HPO₄ in alginate hydrogels, we can modulate their gelation time, tuning their physicochemical properties like stiffness and porosity while maintaining an appropriate injectability. Moreover, these hydrogels showed good biocompatibility when embedding a rat insulinoma cell line, especially at low Na₂HPO₄ concentrations, indicating that these hydrogels have potential as injectable biomaterials for Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus treatment.

Clickable Microgel Scaffolds as Platforms for 3D Cell Encapsulation

While microporous scaffolds are increasingly used for regenerative medicine and tissue repair applications, the most common techniques to fabricate these scaffolds use templating or top-down fabrication approaches. Cytocompatible bottom-up assembly methods afford the opportunity to assemble microporous systems in the presence of cells and create complex polymer-cell composite systems in situ. Here, microgel building blocks with clickable surface groups are synthesized for the bottom-up fabrication of porous cell-laden scaffolds. The facile nature of assembly allows for human mesenchymal stem cells to be incorporated throughout the porous scaffold. Particles are designed with mean diameters of ≈10 and 100 µm, and assembled to create varied microenvironments. The resulting pore sizes and their distribution significantly alter cell morphology and cytoskeletal formation. This microgel-based system provides numerous tunable properties that can be used to control multiple aspects of cellular growth and development, as well as providing the ability to recapitulate various biological interfaces.

Encapsulated Islet Transplantation: Where Do We Stand?

Transplantation of pancreatic islets encapsulated within immuno-protective microcapsules is a strategy that has the potential to overcome graft rejection without the need for toxic immunosuppressive medication. However, despite promising preclinical studies, clinical trials using encapsulated islets have lacked long-term efficacy, and although generally considered clinically safe, have not been encouraging overall. One of the major factors limiting the long-term function of encapsulated islets is the host's immunological reaction to the transplanted graft which is often manifested as pericapsular fibrotic overgrowth (PFO). PFO forms a barrier on the capsule surface that prevents the ingress of oxygen and nutrients leading to islet cell starvation, hypoxia and death. The mechanism of PFO formation is still not elucidated fully and studies using a pig model have tried to understand the host immune response to empty alginate microcapsules. In this review, the varied strategies to overcome or reduce PFO are discussed, including alginate purification, altering microcapsule geometry, modifying alginate chemical composition, co-encapsulation with immunomodulatory cells, administration of pharmacological agents, and alternative transplantation sites. Nanoencapsulation technologies, such as conformal and layer-by-layer coating technologies, as well as nanofiber, thin-film nanoporous devices, and silicone based NanoGland devices are also addressed. Finally, this review outlines recent progress in imaging technologies to track encapsulated cells, as well as promising perspectives concerning the production of insulin-producing cells from stem cells for encapsulation.

Inkjetting Plus Peroxidase-Mediated Hydrogelation Produces Cell-Laden, Cell-Sized Particles with Suitable Characters for Individual Applications

The authors report a method to prepare cell-laden, cell-sized microparticles from various materials suitable for individual applications. The method includes a piezoelectric inkjetting technology and a horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-catalyzed crosslinking reaction. The piezoelectric inkjetting technology enables production of cell-laden, cell-sized (20-60 μm) droplets from a polymer aqueous solution. The HRP-catalyzed crosslinking of the polymer in the ejected solution enables production of spherical microparticles from various materials. Superior cytocompatibility of the microencapsulation method is confirmed from the viability and growth profiles of normal murine mammary gland epithelial cells.