Functionalised Polymer for Enzyme-Free Cell Culture and Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for isolating, culturing, expanding, and delivering cells for regenerative medicine require multiple materials and enzymes that can damage cells, leading to reduced therapeutic capacity and loss during transfer.
Innovation Solution
A functionalised polymer, such as alginate, partially functionalised with photocrosslinkable and cell adhesion moieties, allows for a single material to support cell culture, expansion, and delivery, minimizing damage through reversible phase changes using ionic and photocrosslinking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If enzymatic detachment processes are used to detach cells from culture plastic, then cells can be transferred to delivery materials, but cell function is dysregulated and therapeutic capacity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts cells from tissue explants directly into a biopolymer environment without using enzymatic detachment processes. This eliminates the harmful effects of enzymes on cell function while still achieving successful cell isolation and transfer to the delivery material.
Solution Approach 2:
The biopolymer acts as an intermediary material that cells can attach to directly without requiring enzymatic processing. This intermediary approach allows cell transfer while preserving cell function and avoiding the harmful effects of traditional enzymatic detachment methods.
2Ease of operation
If animal derived enzymes are used for cell detachment, then cells can be released from culture plastic, but cell apoptosis is induced and cell viability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes animal derived enzymes from the cell detachment process entirely. Cells are extracted directly into the biopolymer environment, eliminating the source of harmful factors that cause apoptosis and viability loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention converts the traditional harmful enzymatic detachment process into a beneficial direct extraction process. By eliminating the harmful enzymes, the process transforms from causing cell damage to preserving cell viability and promoting successful cell transfer.
3Adaptability or versatility
If cells are transferred from culture plastic to biopolymer environment, then delivery is enabled, but additional cell loss occurs through transfer errors
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the cell isolation and delivery steps into a single continuous process. Cells are isolated directly into the biopolymer environment in one step, eliminating intermediate transfer steps that cause cell loss through transfer errors.
Solution Approach 2:
The biopolymer is prepared in advance as the final delivery environment, allowing cells to be isolated directly into it. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for subsequent transfer steps, preventing cell loss that would otherwise occur during multiple handling and transfer operations.
4Productivity
If high-stiffness culture plastic is used for cell culture, then cell expansion is achieved, but stem-like phenotype is reduced and senescence is induced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the mechanical parameter (stiffness) of the culture substrate from high-stiffness plastic to soft biopolymer with stiffness matching native tissue. This parameter change allows cell expansion while preserving stem-like phenotype and preventing senescence induction.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies local quality by matching the mechanical properties of the culture substrate to the native tissue environment. The biopolymer provides a locally appropriate stiffness that mimics the natural tissue context, enabling cells to maintain their phenotype while expanding.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The polymer maintains cell viability and functionality, enabling efficient cell expansion and delivery without animal-derived enzymes, reducing contamination risk and maintaining therapeutic capacity.
Implementation Method 1
The polymer is crosslinked with a crosslinking agent to induce a phase change of the polymer from a liquid to a solid
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of photocrosslinkable moieties linked to the polymer, each photocrosslinkable moiety comprising a reactive functionality capable of photocrosslinking
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a functionalised polymer, methods of preparing the functionalised polymer, and compositions comprising the functionalised polymer. The present invention also relates to methods of using the functionalised polymer including for forming a polymer composition comprising cells from a tissue sample and for cell therapy.