MSC-encapsulated porous microparticle eye drops for autoimmune dry eye disease treatment in NOD mice.

ABSTRACT: Dry eye disease (DED) is characterized by chronic inflammation and an unstable tear film. Stem cells have shown potential for DED treatment, but the main challenge lies in improving cell delivery effectiveness. Here, we developed eye drops for autoimmune DED treatment using porous arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD)-modified alginate microcarriers with mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) (RGD-Alg@MSCs). These microcarriers provided a favorable microenvironment for large-scale cell expansion while maintaining stemness with ideal mechanical properties for ocular application. In vitro, RGD-Alg@MSCs demonstrated significantly enhanced therapeutic effects compared to conventional MSCs, including improved cell viability, reduced apoptosis and reactive oxygen species, and enhanced release of i

SUBMITTER: Chen T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12459467 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature