Successful Islet Transplantation Into a Subcutaneous Polycaprolactone Scaffold in Mice and Pigs

Autor: Alexandra M. Smink, PhD, Samuel Rodriquez, BSc, Shiri Li, PhD, Bryan Ceballos, BSc, Nicole Corrales, BSc, Michael Alexander, MSc, Taco Koster, BSc, Bart J. de Haan, BSc, Jonathan R.T. Lakey, PhD, Paul de Vos, PhD
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2023
Předmět:
Zdroj: Transplantation Direct, Vol 9, Iss 1, p e1417 (2023)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2373-8731
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DOI: 10.1097/TXD.0000000000001417
Popis: Background. Islet transplantation is a promising treatment for type 1 diabetes. It has the potential to improve glycemic control, particularly in patients suffering from hypoglycemic unawareness and glycemic instability. As most islet grafts do not function permanently, efforts are needed to create an accessible and replaceable site, for islet grafts or for insulin-producing cells obtained from replenishable sources. To this end, we designed and tested an artificial, polymeric subcutaneous transplantation site that allows repeated transplantation of islets. Methods. In this study, we developed and compared scaffolds made of poly(D,L,-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) (PDLLCL) and polycaprolactone (PCL). Efficacy was first tested in mice‚ and then, as a proof of principle for application in a large animal model, the scaffolds were tested in pigs, as their skin structure is similar to that of humans. Results. In mice, islet transplantation in a PCL scaffold expedited return to normoglycemia in comparison to PDLLCL (7.7 ± 3.7 versus 16.8 ± 6.5 d), but it took longer than the kidney capsule control group. PCL also supported porcine functional islet survival in vitro. Subcutaneous implantation of PDLLCL and PCL scaffolds in pigs revealed that PCL scaffolds were more stable and was associated with less infiltration by immune cells than PDLLCL scaffolds. Prevascularized PCL scaffolds were therefore used to demonstrate the functional survival of allogenic islets under the skin of pigs. Conclusions. To conclude, a novel PCL scaffold shows efficacy as a readily accessible and replaceable, subcutaneous transplantation site for islets in mice and demonstrated islet survival after a month in pigs.
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