Work

Investigation of PSBMA‐PU Ternary Copolymer‐Based Semipermeable Membrane for Macro‐Encapsulation of Cells

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Cell macro-encapsulation necessitates semi-permeable membrane materials with strong resistance to fibrotic encapsulation in vivo. In this study, segmented polyzwitterionic-polyurethane block copolymers (SPU) were synthesized to meet this requirement. Fourier-transform infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed the molecular structure of the successfully synthesized SPU. When incorporated into commercial polyurethane, SPU significantly reduced the hydrophilicity of electrospun fiber membranes and exhibited minimal protein adsorption. The resulting membranes demonstrated favorable mechanical properties, well-defined porous architecture, and efficient transmembrane mass transfer. Encapsulation experiments using BMSCs confirmed that the membrane effectively retained cells while supporting normal cellular growth, allowing secreted factors to diffuse through the membrane and induce M1-to-M2 macrophage polarization. In vivo subcutaneous implantation in rats showed that membranes containing the zwitterionic block copolymer elicited significantly thinner fibrous capsules than both unmodified polyurethane and PTFE controls at 14 and 28 days, with no signs of acute or chronic inflammation.

Source: Macromolecular Rapid Communications

DOI: 10.1002/marc.202500955

Authors: Dianqing Wang, Gang Wu, Qian Zeng, Adam Boukind, Huijuan Wang

Institutions: South China University of Technology, Washington University in St. Louis, Jinan University

Language: English

Topic: Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine

Subfield: Surgery

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funder: Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation of Guangdong Province