Polymerizable superoxide dismutase mimetic protects cells encapsulated in poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogels from reactive oxygen species-mediated damage.

A polymerizable superoxide dismutase mimetic (SODm) was incorporated into poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrogels to protect encapsulated cells from superoxide-mediated damage. Superoxide and other small reactive oxygen species (ROS) can cause oxidative damage to donor tissue encapsulated within size exclusion barrier materials. To enzymatically breakdown ROS within biomaterial cell encapsulation systems, Mn(III) Tetrakis[1-(3-acryloxy-propyl)-4-pyridyl] porphyrin (MnTTPyP-acryl), a polymerizable manganese metalloporphyrin SOD mimetic, was photopolymerized with PEG diacrylate (PEGDA) to create functional gels. In unmodified PEG hydrogels, a significant reduction in metabolic activity was observed when encapsulated Min6 β-cells were challenged with chemically generated superoxide. Cells encapsulated within MnTPPyP-co-PEG hydrogels, however, demonstrated greatly improved metabolic activity following various superoxide challenges. Further, cells were encapsulated and cultured for 10 days within MnTPPyP-co-PEG hydrogels and challenged with superoxide on days 4, 6, and 8. At the conclusion of this study, cells in blank PEG hydrogels had no observable metabolic activity but when encapsulated in MnTPPyP-functionalized hydrogels, cells retained 60 ± 5% of the metabolic activity compared to untreated controls.