Viability and functionality of cells delivered from peptide conjugated scaffolds

Many cell-based therapies aim to transplant functional cells to revascularize damaged tissues and ischemic areas. However, conventional cell therapy is not optimally efficient: massive cell death, damage, and non-localization of cells both spatially and temporally all likely contribute to poor tissue functionality. An alginate cell depot system has been proposed as an alternative means to deliver outgrowth endothelial cells (OECs) in a spatiotemporally controllable manner while protecting them in the early stages of tissue re-integration. Here OECs exiting the alginate scaffold were measured for viability, functionality, and migration speed and characterized for cytokine and surface marker profiles. OECs were highly viable in the alginate and were depleted from the scaffold via migration at a speed of 21 ± 6 μm/h following release. Prolonged interaction with the alginate scaffold microenvironment did not detrimentally change OECs; they retained high functionality, displayed a similar angiogenic cytokine profile as control OECs, and did not have significantly altered surface markers. These results suggest that alginate-OEC interactions do not adversely affect these cells, validating control of cellular migration as a means to control the cell delivery profile from the material system, and supporting usage of the alginate scaffold as an efficient cell delivery vehicle.