Scientific article
OA Policy
English

Implantable vascularized endocrine constructs for clinically scalable insulin delivery

First online date2026-04-27
Abstract

Extrahepatic islet transplantation offers a clinically attractive alternative to intrahepatic delivery, but its success has been constrained by inadequate vascularization and lack of a supportive microenvironment. To address this, we engineered vascularized endocrine constructs (VECs) by coencapsulating pancreatic islets with human blood outgrowth endothelial cells in a good manufacturing practice-compliant amniotic membrane hydrogel (Amniogel). Amniogel provides extracellular matrix-bound prosurvival cues that enhance islet viability and function and promote endothelial self-assembly into vascular networks-improving β-cell gap junction coupling and restoring dynamic glucose-responsive insulin secretion. After subcutaneous implantation in diabetic mice, VECs anastomosed with host vessels and reestablished normoglycemia, outperforming nonvascularized controls. Furthermore, Amniogel impeded chemokine-driven cytotoxic T cell migration and delayed β-cell killing in vitro in a concentration-dependent manner. This integrative strategy, combining a scalable biological scaffold with vascularization and intrinsic barrier properties that may limit early immune cell infiltration, offers a clinically relevant path toward durable β-cell replacement therapies in type 1 diabetes.

Keywords
  • Biomaterials
  • Islet transplantation
  • Type 1 diabetes
  • Vascularization
  • Vascularized endocrine constructs
  • Β-cell replacement therapy
Citation (ISO format)
BELLOFATTO, Kevin et al. Implantable vascularized endocrine constructs for clinically scalable insulin delivery. In: Trends in biotechnology, 2026. doi: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2026.03.020
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Identifiers
Journal ISSN1879-3096
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Technical informations

Creation27/08/2026 15:37:02
First validation09/09/2026 09:59:39
Update09/09/2026 09:59:39
Status update09/09/2026 09:59:39
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