Injection molding to generate complex hydrogel geometries for cell encapsulation
AssigneeArizona Board of Regents on behalf of Arizona State University
InventorsJessica Weaver, Alec McCall, Sarah Brady
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Abstract
Provided herein is a cell macroencapsulation device composed of hydrogel in a 3D conformation that optimizes encapsulated cell viability and function when transplanted into a vascularized tissue space. The hydrogel macroencapsulation device is intended to reduce or eliminate immune response to the cell graft, while allowing exchange of encapsulated cell-secreted products, such as insulin. Also described herein is an injection-mold and fabrication process to generate the hydrogel macroencapsulation devices for use in the clinic.
Claims11
A hydrogel macroencapsulation device comprising:
- a biocompatible hydrogel operable to be crosslinked within an injection mold;
- and
- a plurality of cells encapsulated within the hydrogel,
- wherein the hydrogel macroencapsulation device is formed from the injection mold,
- wherein the biocompatible hydrogel is multi-arm PEG functionalized with bioorthogonal reactive groups;
- wherein the hydrogel macroencapsulation device has a three-dimensional geometry comprising a spiral, rounded, or cylindrical shape such that the plurality of cells encapsulated in the hydrogel are within 100 μm to 3000 μm from the edge of the hydrogel;
- wherein the injection mold comprises a top portion and a bottom portion, the top portion and the bottom portion each comprising a portion of at least one channel operable to form the three-dimensional geometry of the hydrogel macroencapsulation device;
- wherein the hydrogel macroencapsulation device has a length;
- and
- wherein all edges of the hydrogel macroencapsulation device along the length are curved or rounded;
- wherein the bioorthogonal reactive groups are selected from the group consisting of (E)-cyclooct-4-enol, dibenzocyclooctyne, azidodibenzocyclooctyne, dibenzoazacyclooctyne, difluorocyclooctyne 2, difluorocyclooctyne 3, bicyclononyne, and iodoacetamide.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.