MSCs-encapsulated porous microparticle eye drops for autoimmune dry eye disease treatment

Dry eye disease (DED) characterizes by chronic inflammation and an unstable tear film. Stem cells have shown potential for DED treatment, but the main challenge lies in improving the effectiveness of cell delivery. Here, we developed novel eye drops for DED treatment by employing porous microcarriers with mesenchymal stem cells. The microcarriers were created by electrospraying the solution of Arginine-Glycine-Aspartic Acid (RGD) peptides-modified sodium alginate with polyethylene oxide and mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) into the calcium chloride solution. In vitro experiments based on a hyperosmotic corneal epithelial cell model indicated that porous microcarriers encapsulated with MSCs (RGD-Alg@MSCs) demonstrated notable enhancements in cell viability, reductions in apoptosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS), and diminished expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. In the DED model using non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice, RGD-Alg@MSCs effectively enhanced tear production, promoted corneal healing, and alleviated inflammation. Additionally, RGD-Alg@MSCs modulated the immune environment in DED by inhibiting dendritic cell (DC) activation and suppressing Th17 differentiation in vitro, effectively disrupting the inflammatory feedback loop characteristic of DED. This immune modulation strategy was further validated through in vivo experiments, confirming its therapeutic potential. Thus, the designed MSCs-encapsulated porous microcarrier system can improve stem cell delivery and DED treatment efficiency.