Degradable alginate hydrogel microfiber for cell-encapsulation based on alginate lyase loaded nanoparticles

Cell-encapsulation in hydrogels is a promising strategy for tissue engineering and cell therapy, particularly alginate hydrogels as they immobilize the cells in porous matrices, which allows an exchange of nutrients and oxygen and protects the cells from immune clearance. However, alginate hydrogels have one key limitation that they are degraded gradually in the physiological environment providing undesirable character for cell-cell interaction and tissue formation. In this work, we produced cells encapsulated in hydrogel microfibers with accelerated degradation to promote cell proliferation by simultaneously integrating alginate lyase loaded poly (lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles into the cell-laden alginate. The microfluidic laminar flow method was employed to fabricates the cell encapsulated microfibers via an aqueous two-phase system (ATPS). The structure of the microfiber scaffold was observed, and the degree of swelling and degradation rate was investigated. This paper presented that the degradation of the alginate microfibers was controllable and tunable, while promoted cell proliferation. The degradable cells encapsulated alginate microfibers in this study were anticipated for further development of novel therapies for tissue regeneration.

Automated summary

Cell encapsulation in hydrogels, particularly alginate hydrogels, is a promising strategy for tissue engineering and cell therapy. However, the gradual degradation of alginate hydrogels in the physiological environment can negatively affect cell-cell interaction and tissue formation. This study successfully produced cell-encapsulated hydrogel microfibers with accelerated degradation to promote cell proliferation, showing potential for novel therapies in tissue regeneration.