Injectable biodegradable microcarriers for iPSC expansion and cardiomyocyte differentiation

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Stem Cell Biology
• Cardiovascular Research

Background:

• Cell therapy shows promise for cardiac regeneration after myocardial infarction.
• Current limitations include poor cell retention and survival post-transplantation.
• Improved delivery and engraftment strategies are crucial for effective cardiac repair.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize injectable microcarriers for enhanced delivery of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).
• To evaluate the microcarriers as a substrate for iPSC-derived cardiomyocyte culture and cardiac regeneration.
• To assess the potential of microcarrier-based cell therapy for myocardial infarction.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication and surface modification of Thermally Induced Phase Separation (TIPS) microcarriers.
• Assessment of iPSC attachment, expansion, and phenotype maintenance in xeno-free conditions.
• Comparison of iPSC-derived cardiomyocyte differentiation and maturation on microcarriers versus 2D culture.

Main Results:

• TIPS microcarriers facilitated iPSC attachment, expansion, and retention of pluripotency.
• Microcarrier culture supported mature cardiomyocyte phenotype development.
• Microcarriers demonstrated compatibility with injectable delivery and reduced anoikis, improving cell survival.

Conclusions:

• TIPS microcarriers serve as a viable supporting matrix for in vitro iPSC and cardiomyocyte culture.
• These microcarriers are suitable as an injectable cell-substrate for advancing cardiac regeneration therapies.
• This approach offers a promising strategy to overcome cell delivery challenges in myocardial regeneration.