The Cell‐Isolation Capsules with Rod‐Like Channels Ensure the Survival and Response of Cancer Cells to Their Microenvironment

• Published in: Advanced healthcare materials 2022-01, Vol.11 (2), p.e2101723-n/a
• Main Authors: Hui, Lanlan, Wang, Deng, Liu, Zhao, Zhao, Yueqi, Ji, Zhongzhong, Zhang, Man, Zhu, Helen He, Luo, Wenqing, Cheng, Xiaomu, Gui, Liming, Gao, Wei‐Qiang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alginates; Alginates - chemistry; Alginic acid; Cancer; Capsules - chemistry; Cell therapy; cell‐isolation capsule; Channels; Crystals; Diffusion; Encapsulation; engineered alginate hydrogels; Epithelial cells; epithelial ducts; Epithelium; Humans; Hydrogels; Hydrogels - chemistry; Immune system; Liquid crystals; Male; Microenvironments; Neoplasms - drug therapy; NMV microenvironment; Nutrients; Oxygen; Phenotypes; Polymers; Prostate cancer; rod‐like channels; SDS LCs; Survival; Tumors; Xenografts; Xenotransplantation
• ISSN: 2192-2640; 2192-2659
• DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202101723

Current macrocapsules with semipermeable but immunoprotective polymeric membranes are attractive devices to achieve the purpose of immunoisolation, however, their ability to allow diffusion of essential nutrients and oxygen is limited, which leads to a low survival rate of encapsulated cells. Here, a novel method is reported by taking advantage of thermotropic liquid crystals, sodium laurylsulfonate (SDS) liquid crystals (LCs), and rod‐like crystal fragments (LCFs) to develop engineered alginate hydrogels with rod‐like channels. This cell‐isolation capsule with an engineered alginate hydrogel‐wall allows small molecules, large molecules, and bacteria to diffuse out from the capsules freely but immobilizes the encapsulated cells inside and prevents cells in the microenvironment from moving in. The encapsulated cells show a high survival rate with isolation of host immune cells and long‐term growth with adequate nutrients and oxygen supply. In addition, by sharing and responding to the normal molecular and vesicular microenvironment (NMV microenvironment), encapsulated cancer cells display a transition from tumorous phenotypes to ductal features of normal epithelial cells. Thus, this device will be potentially useful for clinical application in cell therapy by secreting molecules and for establishment of patient‐derived xenograft (PDX) models that are often difficult to achieve for certain types of tumors, such as prostate cancer. In immune‐competent mice, the engineered alginate hydrogel‐wall of the cell‐isolation capsule serves as a protective barrier to protect encapsulated cells from attacks of host immune cells and the rod‐like channels provide adequate nutrients and oxygen for encapsulated cells. Meanwhile, encapsulated cancer cells transit to ductal features of normal epithelial cells by communicating with host cells through extracellular vesicless and growth factors.