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Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) has emerged as a key process in the development of renal fibrosis. In fact, EMT-derived fibroblasts contribute to the progression of chronic renal disease. In add- ition, anti-inflammatory M2 macrophages have exhibited a great influence on renal fibrosis. However, because of the high impact that the inputs of different environmental cytokines have on their pheno- type, macrophages can easily lose this property. We aim to known if microencapsulated macrophages on M2-inducing alginate matrices could preserve macrophage phenotype and thus release factors able to act on epithelial cells to prevent the epithelial differentiation towards mesenchymal cells. We repro- duced anin vitromodel of EMT by treating adipose-derived stem cells with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and induced their transformation toward epithelia. Dedifferentiation of epithelial cells into a mesenchymal phenotype occurred when ATRA was retired, thus simulating EMT. Results indicate that induction of M2 phenotype by IL-10 addition in the alginate matrix produces anti-inflammatory cyto- kines and increases the metabolic activity and the viability of the encapsulated macrophages. The released conditioned medium modulates EMT and maintains healthy epithelial phenotype. This could be used forin vivocell transplantation, or alternatively as an external releaser able to prevent epithelial to mesenchymal transformation for future anti-fibrotic therapies. ; Authors thank the support to research on cell microencapsulation from the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU (EHUa16/06 to LSB), the Basque Country Government (Grupos Consolidados, No ref: IT907-16 to JLP), and the Ministry of Science and Innovation. This work was also sup- ported by Plan Nacional Project (SAF2015-67770-R to GH). We thank MAM for excellent technical support. AS was supported by Miguel Servet II contracting system (CPII 14/00026) ; Peer reviewed

This article belongs to the Special Issue Rational Design and Characterization of Hydrogels to Improve Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Applicability. ; Modifying hydrogels in order to enhance their conductivity is an exciting field with applications in cardio and neuro-regenerative medicine. Therefore, we have designed hybrid alginate hydrogels containing uncoated and protein-coated reduced graphene oxide (rGO). We specifically studied the adsorption of three different proteins, BSA, elastin, and collagen, and the outcomes when these protein-coated rGO nanocomposites are embedded within the hydrogels. Our results demonstrate that BSA, elastin, and collagen are adsorbed onto the rGO surface, through a non-spontaneous phenomenon that fits Langmuir and pseudo-second-order adsorption models. Protein-coated rGOs are able to preclude further adsorption of erythropoietin, but not insulin. Collagen showed better adsorption capacity than BSA and elastin due to its hydrophobic nature, although requiring more energy. Moreover, collagen-coated rGO hybrid alginate hydrogels showed an enhancement in conductivity, showing that it could be a promising conductive scaffold for regenerative medicine. ; This study was financially supported by the Basque Country Government [grant number T907-16]. ; Peer reviewed

This article belongs to the Section Drug Delivery and Controlled Release. ; The use of embedded cells within alginate matrices is a developing technique with great clinical applications in cell-based therapies. However, one feature that needs additional investigation is the improvement of alginate-cells viability, which could be achieved by integrating other materials with alginate to improve its surface properties. In recent years, the field of nanotechnology has shown the many properties of a huge number of materials. Graphene oxide (GO), for instance, seems to be a good choice for improving alginate cell viability and functionality. We previously observed that GO, coated with fetal bovine serum (FBS) within alginate hydrogels, improves the viability of embedded myoblasts. In the current research, we aim to study several proteins, specifically bovine serum albumin (BSA), type I collagen and elastin, to discern their impact on the previously observed improvement on embedded myoblasts within alginate hydrogels containing GO coated with FBS. Thus, we describe the mechanisms of the formation of BSA, collagen and elastin protein layers on the GO surface, showing a high adsorption by BSA and elastin, and a decreasing GO impedance and capacitance. Moreover, we described a better cell viability and protein release from embedded cells within hydrogels containing protein-coated GO. We conclude that these hybrid hydrogels could provide a step forward in regenerative medicine. ; This research was funded by the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU and the Basque Country Government (Grupos Consolidados, No ref: IT907-16). ; Peer reviewed