A Core–Shell Microencapsulation System Incorporating Pancreatic Niche Cues to Support Islet Cell Survival
발표자
정은선 (인천대학교)
연구책임자
양기석 (인천대학교)
공동저자
정은선 (인천대학교), 양기석 (인천대학교)
초록
내용
Islet microencapsulation offers a promising β-cell replacement strategy for type 1 diabetes. Transplanted islets face diabetic microenvironments of hyperglycemia and hypoxia, to which β-cells are vulnerable due to their intrinsically low antioxidant capacity. Conventional alginate capsules provide immunoisolation but lack matrix (ECM) support. We developed an electrospray-based core–shell microcapsule integrating pancreatic-derived ECM (PdECM) as a bioactive core and alginate as a protective shell. The PdECM core improved islet survival and reduced reactive oxygen species under diabetic stress. These findings demonstrate that ECM-guided design enhances β-cell resilience and highlight the potential of PdECM–alginate systems for improved islet therapy. This work was supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT of Korea (NRF-2022R1C1C1008610), the Korean Fund for Regenerative Medicine (KFRM22A0105L1-11, KFRM24A0105L1), and the National Research Foundation of Korea (RS-2025-02243019).