Engineered Biomaterials For Enhanced Function Of Insulin-Secreting Beta-Cell Organoids

Insulin-secreting beta-cell organoids comprise many types of cells, including primary islets, pseudoislets, immortalized cell lines, and stem cell-derived aggregates. Successful maintenance and long-term culture of these beta-cell organoids are critical for many translational applications, such as patient-specific disease modeling, drug screening, understanding beta-cell physiology, and cell-based therapies to treat diabetes. Due to the mechanical and chemical insult to islets during isolation, islet viability and function are decreased. Partial restoration of the islet microenvironment through engineered biomaterials can improve islet survival and function in in vitro culture and in vivo transplantation. Natural and synthetic biomaterials can be engineered to improve the function of beta-cell organoids and promote maturation of stem cell-derived beta-cell organoids. Improved function and maturation of beta-cell organoids will likely lead to improved transplant outcomes, but will also enable better models for physiology, disease modeling, and toxicology studies for type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus. The goal of this review is to highlight the diverse array of biomaterials used to enhance the in vitro and in vivo function and maturation of beta-cell organoids.