Image-guided injectable niche for hepatocyte transplantation

Publication Type:

Article

Authors:

Vardhman Kumar, Joa Yun, Susanna K. Elledge, Nicole Henning, Katarzyna A. Grzelak, Ashley D. Westerfield, Amy Stoddard, Favour A. Oladimeji, Virginia Spanoudaki, Kasturi Chakraborty, Savan K. Patel, Heather E. Fleming, Christopher S. Chen, Sangeeta N. Bhatia

Cell Biomaterials (2026)

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Manuscript (PDF)

Journal: https://www.cell.com/cell-biomaterials/fulltext/S3050-5623(26)00034-6

Abstract:

Organ failure remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, yet curative treatments largely rely on whole-organ transplantation, an invasive approach constrained by donor shortages. Cell-based therapies offer a less invasive and more scalable alternative, but progress has been limited by the absence of strategies that reliably enable the establishment of functional, trackable grafts within the body. This work helps address these barriers through an injectable, image-guided, engineered niche that assembles in situ. By combining hydrogel building blocks with real-time ultrasound-guided delivery, transplanted cells can be delivered minimally invasively to enable engraftment within a vascularizable niche that supports their long-term survival and function. The ability to further tune material properties allows control over vascularization and graft function. Broadly, this work highlights how biomaterials can transform cell therapies from surgery-dependent interventions into image-guided, minimally invasive procedures, representing a step toward more accessible regenerative treatments for organ failure and other diseases requiring tissue replacement.