Engineered multilayer ovarian tissue that secretes sex steroids and peptide hormones in response to gonadotropins.

ABSTRACT: Although hormone replacement therapy is an option for the loss of ovarian function, hormone delivery through pharmacological means results in various clinical complications. The present study was designed to deliver sex steroids by a functional construct fabricated using encapsulation techniques. Theca and granulosa cells isolated from ovaries of 21-day old rats were encapsulated in multilayer alginate microcapsules to recapitulate the native follicular structure. Cells encapsulated in two other schemes were used as controls to assess the importance of the multilayer structure. The endocrine functions of the encapsulated cells were assessed in vitro for a period of 30 days. Encapsulated cells showed sustained viability during long-term in vitro culture with those encapsulated in multilayer

SUBMITTER: Sittadjody S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3557586 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature