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A Versatile Microencapsulation Platform for Hyaluronic Acid and Polyethylene Glycol
Stephen Harrington1,2, Lindsey Ott1, Francis Karanu1
1Likarda LLC, Kansas City, Missouri, USA.
Tissue Engineering. Part A
|February 28, 2020
Summary
Core-shell spherification (CSS) offers a new, non-toxic method for creating hydrogel microspheres for cell therapies. This technique successfully encapsulated islets, with polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA) microspheres providing long-term diabetes reversal in mice.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Regenerative Medicine
- Tissue Engineering
Background:
- Traditional alginate microspheres have poor biocompatibility.
- Advanced hydrogel microencapsulation is hindered by slow gelation rates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel, non-cytotoxic method for hydrogel microsphere fabrication.
- To characterize core-shell spherification (CSS) for hyaluronic acid (HA) and polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA) hydrogels.
- To evaluate the efficacy of encapsulated islets in a diabetic mouse model.
Main Methods:
- Developed core-shell spherification (CSS), a non-emulsion-based method for hydrogel microsphere production.
- Fabricated and characterized microspheres from hyaluronic acid (HA) and polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA) using different crosslinking strategies.
- Transplanted canine islets encapsulated in PEGDA or methacrylated HA (MeHA) microspheres into diabetic NOD mice.
Main Results:
- Methacrylated HA (MeHA) microspheres exhibited larger swelling and diameter with lower diffusion barriers compared to PEGDA.
- PEGDA microspheres demonstrated the smallest diameters, lowest swelling, and highest diffusion barrier.
- PEGDA-encapsulated islets reversed diabetes in mice for up to 16 weeks, while MeHA-encapsulated islets provided only transient normoglycemia.
Conclusions:
- Core-shell spherification (CSS) is a versatile, non-toxic microencapsulation technique compatible with diverse hydrogels.
- PEGDA microspheres effectively protected encapsulated islets, leading to sustained normoglycemia in a diabetic mouse model.
- CSS offers a promising platform for developing advanced cell therapies and tissue engineering applications.
