Li Yifan, Yin Weimin, Dong Haiqing, Wang Rongxiang, Sun Lihua, Li Yongyong, Xie Jing
Fundamental Research Center, Shanghai Yangzhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China.
The Institute for Biomedical Engineering & Nano Science (Inano), Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China.
Drug Deliv Transl Res. 2025 Apr 7. doi: 10.1007/s13346-025-01846-4.
This study presents a novel injectable sodium alginate hydrogel designed to enhanc stem cell therapy for endometrial regeneration. Using calcium gluconate as a crosslinking agent, we achieved improved homogeneity and injectability compared to traditional calcium chloride crosslinking. RGD modification further enhanced cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation in vitro, creating a bioactive scaffold for umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UCMSCs) delivery. In a mouse model of endometrial injury, intrauterine transplantation of RGD-modified hydrogel encapsulating UCMSCs significantly improved endometrial thickness, reduced fibrosis, enhanced angiogenesis, and increased pregnancy rates compared to both untreated controls and UCMSCs alone. These results suggest that this injectable hydrogel system combined with stem cells holds significant promise for future applications in treating endometrial damage and improving reproductive outcomes in women.
本研究提出了一种新型可注射海藻酸钠水凝胶，旨在增强用于子宫内膜再生的干细胞治疗。与传统的氯化钙交联相比，使用葡萄糖酸钙作为交联剂，我们实现了更好的均匀性和可注射性。RGD修饰进一步增强了细胞在体外的粘附、增殖和分化，为脐带间充质干细胞（UCMSCs）递送创建了一个生物活性支架。在子宫内膜损伤的小鼠模型中，与未治疗的对照组和单独的UCMSCs相比，宫内移植包裹UCMSCs的RGD修饰水凝胶显著改善了子宫内膜厚度，减少了纤维化，增强了血管生成，并提高了妊娠率。这些结果表明，这种可注射水凝胶系统与干细胞相结合，在未来治疗子宫内膜损伤和改善女性生殖结局方面具有巨大的应用前景。
