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Biostimulatory Micro-Fragmented Nanofiber-Hydrogel Composite Improves Mesenchymal Stem Cell Delivery and Soft Tissue
Zhi-Cheng Yao1,2,3, Yueh-Hsun Yang2,4, Jiayuan Kong1,2,3
1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA.
Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|August 10, 2022
Summary
Micro-fragmented nanofiber-hydrogel composites (mfNHC) offer improved injectability for delivering mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). This enhanced stem cell delivery promotes tissue regeneration, angiogenesis, and adipogenesis for effective soft tissue remodeling.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Tissue Engineering
- Regenerative Medicine
Background:
- Functional microgels serve as effective stem cell carriers for minimally invasive delivery and tissue integration.
- A biostimulatory nanofiber-hydrogel composite (NHC) mimics native tissue matrix, enhancing cell infiltration, immunomodulation, and proangiogenic properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To improve the injectability of a pre-formed NHC for enhanced stem cell delivery.
- To evaluate the efficacy of micro-fragmented NHC (mfNHC) as a carrier for mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in soft tissue remodeling.
Main Methods:
- Mechanical fragmentation of NHC into a granular gel form (mfNHC).
- Assessment of mfNHC injectability (injection force) and mechanical properties (storage modulus) compared to bulk NHC.
- In vivo evaluation in rat and swine models, assessing host cell infiltration, macrophage polarization, angiogenesis, and adipogenesis in mfNHC-MSC constructs.
Main Results:
- mfNHC demonstrated significantly reduced injection force while maintaining storage modulus compared to bulk NHC.
- Subcutaneous injection of mfNHC-MSC constructs in rats led to increased macrophage infiltration, pro-regenerative polarization, angiogenesis, and adipogenesis.
- Similar positive host cell infiltration and pro-angiogenic responses were observed in swine models with larger volume injections.
Conclusions:
- Micro-fragmented NHC (mfNHC) presents a promising injectable carrier for stem cell delivery.
- mfNHC facilitates enhanced tissue regeneration, angiogenesis, and adipogenesis, indicating strong potential for soft tissue remodeling applications.
