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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)
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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Publication type
Article: Journal article
Document type
Scientific Article
Keywords
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
Journal
Advanced healthcare materials
Quellenangaben
Article Number: e05927
Publisher
Wiley
Publishing Place
Weinheim
Reviewing status
Peer reviewed
Institute(s)
Institute of Pancreatic Islet Research (IPI)
Grants
Horizon Europe research and innovation program
Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
The authors thank the German Research Foundation
Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
The authors thank the German Research Foundation