Developing Hybrid Polymer Scaffolds Using Peptide Modified Biopolymers for Cell Implantation

• Published in: ACS biomaterials science & engineering Vol. 3; no. 10; pp. 2215 - 2222
• Main Authors: Abraham, Sinoj, Kuppan, Purushothaman, Raj, Shammy, Salama, Bassem, Korbutt, Gregory S, Montemagno, Carlo D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Chemical Society 09.10.2017
• Subjects: subcutaneous; biopolymer; vascularization; biomimics; transplantation
• ISSN: 2373-9878; 2373-9878
• DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.7b00383

Polymeric scaffolds containing biomimics offer exciting therapies with broad potential impact for cellular therapies and thereby potentially improve success rates. Here we report the designing and fabrication of a hybrid scaffold that can prevent a foreign body reaction and maintain cell viability. A biodegradable acrylic based cross-linkable polycaprolactone based polymer was developed and using a multihead electrospinning station to fabricate hybrid scaffolds. This consists of cell growth factor mimics and factors to prevent a foreign body reaction. Transplantation studies were performed subcutaneously and in epididymal fat pad of immuno-competent Balb/c mice and immuno-suppressed B6 Rag1 mice and we demonstrated extensive neo-vascularization and maintenance of islet cell viability in subcutaneously implanted neonatal porcine islet cells for up to 20 weeks of post-transplant. This novel approach for cell transplantation can improve the revascularization and allow the integration of bioactive molecules such as cell adhesion molecules, growth factors, etc.