Engineering an Islet Bioinstructive Microenvironment for Improved Survival, Function, Protection, and Delivery

Current shortcomings to islet transplantation have been largely attributed to the loss of critical microenvironment cues from surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM) and vasculature as a result of isolation, in-vitro culture, and insufficient oxygen/nutrient supply to engrafted islets. Here we will apply our current expertise and toolkit relevant to cell-ECM interactions and mechanobiology signaling for purposes of defining how specific design features of self-assembling collagen-fibril matrices and matrix-guided vasculogenesis affect islet survival, phenotype, and function both in vitro and in vivo.