A Novel Short-Term Hypothermic Cell Preservation and Delivery Platform using an Injectable Biomaterial Scaffold

Abstract

With cell-based therapies becoming an important part of the current clinical landscape, developing effective preservation strategies is essential for their successful use. Hypothermic storage has emerged as a promising alternative to conventional cryopreservation techniques as it offers a simple, accessible, and cost-effective approach to cell-therapy storage and administration. Here, we explored an extracellular matrix-derived self-assembly peptide hydrogel as a biomaterial platform to support cells under mild storage conditions. This bioactive scaffold provided protective effects that helped sustain cell viability and reduce oxidative stress during storage, while also acting as an injectable delivery vehicle. This system currently remains limited by mitochondrial injury which will be important to address to further prolong storage. Overall, these findings highlight the potential of biomaterial-based strategies to advance short-term storage and delivery of cell-based therapies.