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Dani, F.* ; Duin, S.* ; Akkineni, A.R.* ; Lehmann, S. ; Ludwig, B. ; Kühl, M.* ; Gelinsky, M.* ; Lode, A.*

Oxygen supply of islets of Langerhans by photosynthetically active microalgae in bioprinted co-cultures maintains their function in a hypoxic environment.

Adv. Healthc. Mater.:e05927 (2026)
Verlagsversion Forschungsdaten DOI PMC
Open Access Hybrid
Creative Commons Lizenzvertrag
Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) is characterized by the autoimmune destruction of pancreatic beta cells, leading to insulin deficiency and necessitating lifelong external insulin administration. The transplantation of allogenic islets is a promising therapeutic approach, whereby their macro-encapsulation offers immune protection but restricts oxygenation after transplantation. This study addresses the challenge of oxygen supply by developing a spatially structured co-culture system using bioprinting, in which both pancreatic islets and the photosynthetically active microalga Scenedesmus sp. are embedded in alginate-based hydrogels. Key environmental parameters for long-term co-cultivation were developed and systematically optimized: red light illumination was identified as non-detrimental to islet viability and function while supporting microalgal photosynthesis at the same time, and a co-culture medium was formulated to fulfill the metabolic requirements of both cell types. In direct co-culture experiments under hypoxic conditions, microalgae generated sufficient oxygen to maintain normoxic conditions, thereby preserving islet viability and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion over several days. The results demonstrate that spatially organized bioprinting enables the close proximity of islets and microalgae, facilitating effective oxygen transfer in vitro. This work establishes a robust framework for functional mammalian-microalgae co-cultures, optimizing conditions to reliably maintain cell health and function through photosynthetically generated oxygen.
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Publikationstyp Artikel: Journalartikel
Dokumenttyp Wissenschaftlicher Artikel
Schlagwörter Bioprinting ; Co‐culture ; Diabetes ; Insulin ; Microalgae ; Oxygen ; Pancreatic Islet Transplantation; Pancreatic-islets; Optical Sensor; Growth; Light; Biomaterials; Viability; Cells; Rat; O-2; Ph
ISSN (print) / ISBN 2192-2640
e-ISSN 2192-2659
Zeitschrift Advanced healthcare materials
Quellenangaben Band: , Heft: , Seiten: , Artikelnummer: e05927 Supplement: ,
Verlag Wiley
Verlagsort Weinheim
Begutachtungsstatus Peer reviewed
Institut(e) Institute of Pancreatic Islet Research (IPI)
Förderungen Horizon Europe research and innovation program
Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
The authors thank the German Research Foundation