Controlled Nutrient Delivery to Pancreatic Islets Using Polydopamine-Coated Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles
In this study, we designed a nanoscale platform for sustained amino acid delivery to support transplanted pancreatic islets. The platform features mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPs) loaded with glutamine (G), an essential amino acid required for islet survival and function, and coated with polydopamine (PD). We investigated various PD concentrations (0.5-2 mg/mL) and incubation times (0.5-2 h) to optimize G release, identifying that a PD concentration of 0.5 mg/mL incubated for 0.5 h yielded the best results to support islet viability and functionality <i>ex vivo</i>, particularly under inflammatory conditions. In syngeneic islet transplantation in STZ-diabetic mice, G alone provided only temporary benefits; however, PD-G-MSNPs significantly improved islet engraftment and function, with animals maintaining glycemic control for 30 days due to controlled G release. Our findings support the use of this nanoscale platform to provide essential nutrients like G to transplanted islets until they can establish their own blood and nutrient supply.
Authors
- Péter Buchwald (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2732-8180)
- Abantika Ganguly (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3037-7231)
- Shashank Chetty (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3563-2748)
- Steven Levitte (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3324-5464)
- Rosita Primavera (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6039-5679)
- Paolo Decuzzi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6050-4188)
- Bhavesh D. Kevadiya (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9119-7798)
- Michele Guindani (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6363-9907)
- Reza Yarani (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9892-1937)
- Shaini Patel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-2652-352X)
- Avnesh S. Thakor (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7395-0515)
- Jing Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9981-5530)
- Shobha Regmi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2620-2578)
- Lili Bettencourt
Institutions
- Steno Diabetes Centers (DK)
- University of Miami (US)
- University of California, Los Angeles (US)
- Italian Institute of Technology (IT)
- Stanford University (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nano Letters
- Published
- 2025-01-10
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c03613
- Citations
- 5
- Primary Topic
- Pancreatic function and diabetes
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 10.03
Funders
- Stanford University
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
- Stanford Maternal and Child Health Research Institute