The encapsulation of cells in alginate hydrogel microbeads is a promising approach to treat diseases such as acute liver failure, haemophilia, and type 1 diabetes. Alginate is an excellent biomaterial for cell encapsulation due to its biocompatibility and ability to form gels that are well tolerated by cells. However, its clinical use is hampered by immune responses that result in the formation of fibrotic tissue enclosing the microbeads. The latter limits the long-term function of encapsulated cells by restricting access to oxygen and nutrients.

To ensure the long-lasting therapeutic efficacy of encapsulated cells, a deep insight into the mechanisms that trigger fibrotic overgrowth on alginate hydrogels is required. Our project aims at investigating protein adsorption to alginate microbeads, which is the key to fibrosis formation. The results will aid both in understanding biomaterial-host interactions and designing of novel biomaterials for biomedical applications.

The multidisciplinary collaboration between experts in bioinformatics, biopolymers and biomaterials, cell therapy, epigenetics, immunology, molecular biology, and proteomics will break the ground for:

• Designing new fibrosis-free biopolymer hydrogels
• Revealing surface patterns of proteins on the beads exposed to human blood and after implantation in mice 
• Connecting the surface patterns to the acute phase response and inflammatory patterns 
• Investigating the materials impact on monocytes to macrophages maturation
• Investigating the fibrosis in mice models