Current Fertility Preservation Steps in Young Women Suffering from Cancer and Future Perspectives.

Childhood cancer incidence, especially in high-income countries, has led to a focus on preserving fertility in this vulnerable population. The common treatments, such as radiation and certain chemotherapeutic agents, though effective, pose a risk to fertility. For adult women, established techniques like embryo and egg freezing are standard, requiring ovarian stimulation.

Human Dermal Decellularized ECM Hydrogels as Scaffolds for 3D In Vitro Skin Aging Models.

Biomaterials play an important role in the development of advancing three dimensional (3D) in vitro skin models, providing valuable insights for drug testing and tissue-specific modeling. Commercial materials, such as collagen, fibrin or alginate, have been widely used in skin modeling. However, they do not adequately represent the molecular complexity of skin components.

Surface modifications of COP-based microfluidic devices for improved immobilisation of hydrogel proteins: long-term 3D culture with contractile cell types and ischaemia model.

The tissue microenvironment plays a crucial role in tissue homeostasis and disease progression. However, the simulation has been limited by the lack of adequate biomimetic models in the last decades. Thanks to the advent of microfluidic technology for cell culture applications, these complex microenvironments can be recreated by combining hydrogels, cells and microfluidic devices.

Modeling an Optimal 3D Skin-on-Chip within Microfluidic Devices for Pharmacological Studies.

Preclinical research remains hampered by an inadequate representation of human tissue environments which results in inaccurate predictions of a drug candidate's effects and target's suitability. While human 2D and 3D cell cultures and organoids have been extensively improved to mimic the precise structure and function of human tissues, major challenges persist since only few of these models adequately represent the complexity of human tissues. The development of skin-on-chip technology has allowed the transition from static 3D cultures to dynamic 3D cultures resembling human physiology.

Intrapericardial Delivery of APA-Microcapsules as Promising Stem Cell Therapy Carriers in an Experimental Acute Myocardial Infarction Model.

The administration of cardiosphere-derived cells (CDCs) after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is very promising. CDC encapsulation in alginate-poly-l-lysine-alginate (APA) could increase cell survival and adherence. The intrapericardial (IP) approach potentially achieves high concentrations of the therapeutic agent in the infarcted area.

Modulation of Conductivity of Alginate Hydrogels Containing Reduced Graphene Oxide through the Addition of Proteins.

Modifying hydrogels in order to enhance their conductivity is an exciting field with applications in cardio and neuro-regenerative medicine. Therefore, we have designed hybrid alginate hydrogels containing uncoated and protein-coated reduced graphene oxide (rGO). We specifically studied the adsorption of three different proteins, BSA, elastin, and collagen, and the outcomes when these protein-coated rGO nanocomposites are embedded within the hydrogels.

SERS monitoring of local pH in encapsulated therapeutic cells.

Microencapsulation of therapeutic cells has widely advanced toward the development of treatments for various diseases, in particular seeking the protection of cell transplants from immune rejection. However, several challenges in cell therapy remain due to the lack of suitable methods to monitor in vivo microcapsule tracking, microcapsule stability and/or altered cell viability and proliferation upon transplantation. We propose in this work the incorporation of contrast agents in microcapsules, which can be easily visualized by SERS imaging.

Benefits of cryopreservation as long-term storage method of encapsulated cardiosphere-derived cells for cardiac therapy: A biomechanical analysis.

Cardiosphere-derived cells (CDCs) encapsulated within alginate-poly-L-lysine-alginate (APA) microcapsules present a promising treatment alternative for myocardial infarction. However, clinical translatability of encapsulated CDCs requires robust long-term preservation of microcapsule and cell stability, since cell culture at 37 °C for long periods prior to patient implantation involve high resource, space and manpower costs, sometimes unaffordable for clinical facilities. Cryopreservation in liquid nitrogen is a well-established procedure to easily store cells with good recovery rate, but its effects on encapsulated cells are understudied.

Borax-loaded injectable alginate hydrogels promote muscle regeneration in vivo after an injury.

Muscle tissue possess an innate regenerative potential that involves an extremely complicated and synchronized process on which resident muscle stem cells play a major role: activate after an injury, differentiate and fuse originating new myofibers for muscle repair. Considerable efforts have been made to design new approaches based on material systems to potentiate muscle repair by engineering muscle extracellular matrix and/or including soluble factors/cells in the media, trying to recapitulate the key biophysical and biochemical cues present in the muscle niche. This work proposes a different and simple approach to potentiate muscle regeneration exploiting the interplay between specific cell membrane receptors.

Tendon tissue engineering: Cells, growth factors, scaffolds and production techniques.

Tendon injuries are a global health problem that affects millions of people annually. The properties of tendons make their natural rehabilitation a very complex and long-lasting process. Thanks to the development of the fields of biomaterials, bioengineering and cell biology, a new discipline has emerged, tissue engineering.

Characterization of encapsulated porcine cardiosphere-derived cells embedded in 3D alginate matrices.

Myocardial infarction is caused by an interruption of coronary blood flow, leading to one of the main death causes worldwide. Current therapeutic approaches are palliative and not able to solve the loss of cardiac tissue. Cardiosphere derived cells (CDCs) reduce scarring, and increase viable myocardium, with safety and adequate biodistribution, but show a low rate engraftment and survival after implantation.

Force Spectroscopy Imaging and Constriction Assays Reveal the Effects of Graphene Oxide on the Mechanical Properties of Alginate Microcapsules.

Microencapsulation of cells in hydrogel-based porous matrices is an approach that has demonstrated great success in regenerative cell therapy. These microcapsules work by concealing the exogenous cells and materials in a robust biomaterial that prevents their recognition by the immune system. A vast number of formulations and additives are continuously being tested to optimize cell viability and mechanical properties of the hydrogel.

BSA- and Elastin-Coated GO, but Not Collagen-Coated GO, Enhance the Biological Performance of Alginate Hydrogels.

The use of embedded cells within alginate matrices is a developing technique with great clinical applications in cell-based therapies. However, one feature that needs additional investigation is the improvement of alginate-cells viability, which could be achieved by integrating other materials with alginate to improve its surface properties. In recent years, the field of nanotechnology has shown the many properties of a huge number of materials.

Graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide-based scaffolds in regenerative medicine.

There is a vast and rapid increase in the applications of graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) in the biomedical field, including drug delivery, bio-sensing, and diagnostic tools. Among all the applications, the GO and rGO-based scaffolds are a very promising system that have attracted attention because of their great clinical projection in tissue regeneration therapies. Both GO and rGO have shown a strong impact on the proliferation and differentiation of implemented stem cells, but still need to overcome several challenges, such as cytotoxicity, biodistribution, biotransformation or immune response.

Immobilization of INS1E Insulin-Producing Cells Within Injectable Alginate Hydrogels.

Alginate has demonstrated high applicability as a matrix-forming biomaterial for cell immobilization due to its ability to make hydrogels combined with cells in a rapid and non-toxic manner in physiological conditions, while showing excellent biocompatibility, preserving immobilized cell viability and function. Moreover, depending on its application, alginate hydrogel physicochemical properties such as porosity, stiffness, gelation time, and injectability can be tuned. This technology has been applied to several cell types that are able to produce therapeutic factors.

Review of Advanced Hydrogel-Based Cell Encapsulation Systems for Insulin Delivery in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus.

Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) is characterized by the autoimmune destruction of β-cells in the pancreatic islets. In this regard, islet transplantation aims for the replacement of the damaged β-cells through minimally invasive surgical procedures, thereby being the most suitable strategy to cure T1DM. Unfortunately, this procedure still has limitations for its widespread clinical application, including the need for long-term immunosuppression, the lack of pancreas donors and the loss of a large percentage of islets after transplantation.

3D printed polyamide macroencapsulation devices combined with alginate hydrogels for insulin-producing cell-based therapies.

Cell macroencapsulation has shown a great potential overcoming the low survival of the transplanted pancreatic islets in the Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) treatment, as it avoids the need for lifelong immunosuppression. It is still not completely known how these devices interact with the host immune system when implanted. However, their surface properties seem to be crucial factors for a successful implant.

Hyaluronic Acid Promotes Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells from Different Sources toward Pancreatic Progenitors within Three-Dimensional Alginate Matrixes.

Islet transplantation has shown to be a successful alternative in type 1 diabetes treatment, but donor scarcity precludes its worldwide clinical translation. Stem cells are an unlimited source that could circumvent the lack of donors if complete differentiation into insulin-producing cells (IPCs) could be accomplished. We have performed the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from different sources into IPCs within three-dimensional (3D) alginate matrixes.

Hyaluronic acid enhances cell survival of encapsulated insulin-producing cells in alginate-based microcapsules.

Pancreatic islet transplantation has proved to be a promising therapy for T1DM, in spite of the chronic immunosuppression required. Although cell microencapsulation technology represents an alternative to circumvent the immune system rejection of transplanted pancreatic islets, the environment provided by classical alginate microcapsules does not mimic the natural ECM, affecting the islet survival. Since hyaluronic acid, one of the major components of pancreatic ECM, is involved in cell adhesion and viability, we assessed the beneficial outcomes on encapsulated insulin-producing cells by the HA inclusion in alginate matrices.

3D Printed porous polyamide macrocapsule combined with alginate microcapsules for safer cell-based therapies.

Cell microencapsulation is an attractive strategy for cell-based therapies that allows the implantation of genetically engineered cells and the continuous delivery of de novo produced therapeutic products. However, the establishment of a way to retrieve the implanted encapsulated cells in case the treatment needs to be halted or when cells need to be renewed is still a big challenge. The combination of micro and macroencapsulation approaches could provide the requirements to achieve a proper immunoisolation, while maintaining the cells localized into the body.

Graphene oxide enhances alginate encapsulated cells viability and functionality while not affecting the foreign body response.

The combination of protein-coated graphene oxide (GO) and microencapsulation technology has moved a step forward in the challenge of improving long-term alginate encapsulated cell survival and sustainable therapeutic protein release, bringing closer its translation from bench to the clinic. Although this new approach in cell microencapsulation represents a great promise for long-term drug delivery, previous studies have been performed only with encapsulated murine CC myoblasts genetically engineered to secrete murine erythropoietin (CC-EPO) within 160 µm diameter hybrid alginate protein-coated GO microcapsules implanted into syngeneic mice. Here, we show that encapsulated CC-EPO myoblasts survive longer and release more therapeutic protein by doubling the micron diameter of hybrid alginate-protein-coated GO microcapsules to 380 µm range.

Current advanced therapy cell-based medicinal products for type-1-diabetes treatment.

In the XXI century diabetes mellitus has become one of the main threats to human health with higher incidence in regions such as Europe and North America. Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) occurs as a consequence of the immune-mediated destruction of insulin producing β-cells located in the endocrine part of the pancreas, the islets of Langerhans. The administration of exogenous insulin through daily injections is the most prominent treatment for T1DM but its administration is frequently associated to failure in glucose metabolism control, finally leading to hyperglycemia episodes.

Microencapsulated macrophages releases conditioned medium able to prevent epithelial to mesenchymal transition.

Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) has emerged as a key process in the development of renal fibrosis. In fact, EMT-derived fibroblasts contribute to the progression of chronic renal disease. In addition, anti-inflammatory M2 macrophages have exhibited a great influence on renal fibrosis.