Magnetically controlled microgelbots with stem cells for the treatment of interstitial cystitis

초록

Stem cell therapy has been widely investigated for the treatment of chronic bladder diseases such as interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS). However, the delivery of stem cells into the bladder wall is limited due to the mucus layer lining the bladder wall and the frequent urination, leading to the fast clearance of stem cells from the bladder. Here, we report a soft microgelbot (mu gelbot) composed of a magnetic nanochain embedded microgel in a tunable size and shape for the enhanced delivery of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into the bladder wall through the mucus layer. In vitro penetration tests to optimize the shape of mu gelbots show that the quadrangle shaped mu gelbots effectively apply a shear force to the surrounding shear-thinning mucus layer for the enhanced penetration under a rotating magnetic field. After loading MSCs onto the mu gelbot, we confirm the enhanced penetration and retention in the reconstructed mucus layer. Finally, we successfully demonstrate the paracrine effects of MSCs loaded mu gelbots on chronic IC murine models, inhibiting the mast cell infiltration, collagen deposition, and bladder cell apoptosis. Taken together, we could confirm the feasibility of magnetically controlled mu gelbots as a promising platform for the stem cell therapy of IC/BPS.

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