Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42095956›Full record

ArticleBiomedical microdevices2026

Injectable, electrosprayed RGD-coupled alginate hydrogel microcapsules enable enhanced viability and sustained release of mesenchymal stem cells.

Dominic Karl M Bolinas, Allan John R Barcena, Archana Mishra, Marvin R Bernardino, Francisco M Heralde, Steven Y Huang, Marites P Melancon

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Biomedical microdevices, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Dominic Karl M BolinasDepartment of Interventional Radiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Unit 1471, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6762-1149
Allan John R BarcenaDepartment of Interventional Radiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Unit 1471, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5067-0334
Archana MishraDepartment of Interventional Radiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Unit 1471, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7590-5846
Marvin R BernardinoDepartment of Interventional Radiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Unit 1471, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0009-3439-2026
Francisco M HeraldeCollege of Medicine, University of the Philippines Manila, Manila, 1000, Philippines.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7794-2894
Steven Y HuangDepartment of Interventional Radiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Unit 1471, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
Marites P MelanconDepartment of Interventional Radiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Unit 1471, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX, 77030, USA. mmelancon@mdanderson.org.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7447-0705

Funding

Tumor Evolution and Metastasis ProgramP30CA016672 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF TX MD ANDERSON CAN CTR · PI DIANE BODURKA · 1985 to 2026
$290.8M
NCI NIH HHS P30 CA016672NCI NIH HHS P30CA016672
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The clinical translation of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapies remains limited due to rapid cell clearance and stress-induced viability loss during injection. These limitations emphasize the need to develop delivery systems allowing MSCs to persist in the tissue and exert their biological effect. Cell microencapsulation within alginate (Alg) biomaterials is a promising strategy, where arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD)-coupled alginate (RAlg) hydrogels have recently demonstrated improved bioactivity. However, achieving precise encapsulation and injectability while preserving cell viability remains an ongoing challenge. This study presents an injectable delivery platform using electrosprayed RAlg microcapsules that enhance viability and sustain the release of MSCs. Electrospray parameters were optimized to yield a microcapsule size of 175.4 ± 21.1 μm with high uniformity and consistent spherical morphology. Electron microscopy images of the microcapsules revealed a highly ordered microporous architecture. Physicochemical characterization confirmed that the presence of RGD peptides did not significantly alter the swelling, viscoelasticity, and encapsulation efficiency of Alg. Successful encapsulation of MSCs were observed, with cells assuming a round morphology within the microcapsule. After 14 days, RAlg maintained significantly higher cell viability at 91.3% than Alg alone (84.9%). Furthermore, a time-dependent release of cells was observed, with intact microcapsules at day 1, partial degradation with 59-61% cell release at day 7, and extensive degradation with 78-81% release by day 14. Both RAlg and Alg had comparable release performance. Overall, this study demonstrates the potential of electrosprayed RAlg microcapsules as a biocompatible and injectable platform for the sustained delivery of viable MSCs in regenerative medicine applications.

Indexed as

AlginatesHydrogelsMesenchymal Stem CellsOligopeptidesAnimalsCapsulesCell SurvivalDelayed-Action PreparationsGlucuronic AcidHexuronic AcidsInjectionsAlginatesarginyl-glycyl-aspartic acidCapsulesDelayed-Action PreparationsGlucuronic AcidHexuronic AcidsHydrogelsOligopeptidesElectrosprayHydrogelsMesenchymal stem cellsRGD-Alginate

Identifiers

PMID42095956
PMCPMC13152925

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.