Microfluidic encapsulation of nanoparticles in alginate microgels gelled via competitive ligand exchange crosslinking

Author(s)

Cinel, Victor Dal Posolo ^[1] ; Taketa, Thiago Bezerra ^[2] ; de Carvalho, Bruna Gregatti ^[2] ; de la Torre, Lucimara Gaziola ^[2] ; de Mello, Lucas Rodrigues ^[1] ; da Silva, Emerson Rodrigo ^[1] ; Han, Sang Won ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Fed Sao Paulo, Dept Biophys, 745 Botucatu St, BR-04023062 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[2] Univ Estadual Campinas, Dept Bioproc & Mat Engn, Campinas - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Biopolymers; v. 112, n. 7 JUL 2021.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

Efficient delivery of nanometric vectors complexed with nanoparticles at a target tissue without spreading to other tissues is one of the main challenges in gene therapy. One means to overcome this problem is to confine such vectors within microgels that can be placed in a target tissue to be released slowly and locally. Herein, a conventional optical microscope coupled to a common smartphone was employed to monitor the microfluidic production of monodisperse alginate microgels containing nanoparticles as a model for the encapsulation of vectors. Alginate microgels (1.2%) exhibited an average diameter of 125 +/- 3 mu m, which decreased to 106 +/- 5 mu m after encapsulating 30 nm fluorescent nanoparticles. The encapsulation efficiency was 70.9 +/- 18.9%. In a 0.1 M NaCl solution, 55 +/- 5% and 92 +/- 4.7% of nanoparticles were released in 30 minutes and 48 hours, respectively. Microgel topography assessment by atomic force microscopy revealed that incorporation of nanoparticles into the alginate matrix changes the scaffold's interfacial morphology and induces crystallization with the appearance of oriented domains. The high encapsulation rate of nanoparticles, alongside their continuous release of nanoparticles over time, makes these microgels and the production unit a valuable system for vector encapsulation for gene therapy research. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 18/19537-8 - MICROFLUIDICS AS A TECHNOLOGICAL PLATFORM FOR NANO & BIOTECHNOLOGY
• Grantee: Lucimara Gaziola de la Torre
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 18/18523-3 - Polymeric microparticle synthesis via droplet microfluidics for sustained release of non-viral vectors applied to gene therapy
• Grantee: Bruna Gregatti de Carvalho
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• FAPESP's process: 19/19719-1 - Bioactive peptide matrices: from molecular structure to biomedical applications
• Grantee: Lucas Rodrigues de Mello
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 18/06635-1 - Development of effective biomaterial-based systems for the efficient and safe delivery of iPSC-derived macrophages into the skeletal muscle to treat limb ischemia
• Grantee: Sang Won Han
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 15/20206-8 - Modulation of monocytes, macrophages and pericytes by the colony stimulating factor genes to treat murine limb ischemia
• Grantee: Sang Won Han
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants