An injectable gelatin/sericin hydrogel loaded with human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of uterine injury

Abstract

Abnormal endometrial receptivity is a major cause of the failure of embryo transplantation, which may lead to infertility, adverse pregnancy, and neonatal outcomes. While hormonal treatment has dramatically improved the fertility outcomes in women with endometriosis, a substantial unmet need persists in the treatment. In this study, methacrylate gelatin (GelMA) and methacrylate sericin (SerMA) hydrogel with human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (HUMSC) encapsulation was designed for facilitating endometrial regeneration and fertility restoration through in situ injection. The presented GelMA/10%SerMA hydrogel showed appropriate swelling ratio, good mechanical properties, and degradation stability. In vitro cell experiments showed that the prepared hydrogels had excellent biocompatibility and cell encapsulation ability of HUMSC. Further in vivo experiments demonstrated that GelMA/SerMA@HUMSC hydrogel could increase the thickness of endometrium and improve the endometrial interstitial fibrosis. Moreover, regenerated endometrial tissue was more receptive to transfer embryos. Summary, we believed that GelMA/SerMA@HUMSC hydrogel will hold tremendous promise to repair or regenerate damaged endometrium.

Limbal stem cells carried by a four-dimensional -printed chitosan-based scaffold for corneal epithelium injury in diabetic rabbits

“…Currently, the clinical acquiescence of stem cell Frontiers in Physiology frontiersin.org therapy mostly uses local direct injection. However, when the wound injury is large, direct injection will lead to a low local cell retention rate, reduce the biological activity of MSCs, and hinder the effect of stem cell therapy (Gill et al, 2018;Chen et al, 2023). Recent studies have shown that hydrogels have good biocompatibility and unique micropore structure and are good carriers for drugs and cells (Wang et al, 2020;Zhao et al, 2023).…”

Unveiling the versatility of gelatin methacryloyl hydrogels: a comprehensive journey into biomedical applications

“…In vivo experiments displayed increased thickness of the endometrium, decreased interstitial fibrosis, and fostered receptivity to embryo transfer. Thus, the developed hydrogel stands favorable for repairing damaged endometrium and promoting fertility outcomes [197].…”

Expanding the boundaries of silk sericin biomaterials in biomedical applications

“…84 SerMA hydrogels were also reported as a material with potential to regenerate damaged endometrium, as a result of its encapsulation ability of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells. 85 SS can also be functionalized with urethane methacryloyl groups to produce a SS urethane methacryloyl, resulting in increased hydrophilicity when compared to SerMA. 86 The hydrogel was characterized by a mass loss of <25% after 21 days of incubation, demonstrating suitability for longer-term support for skin regeneration.…”