TY  - EJOU
AU  - Li, Zhihuan 
AU  - Lei, Shiqi 
AU  - Guo, Yajuan 
AU  - Liu, Renmeng 
AU  - Yang, Lei 
AU  - Du, Yuheng 
AU  - Wang, Xingdan 
AU  - Zou, Yun 
AU  - Jiang, Kun 
AU  - Jiang, Zhongliang 

TI  - Co-Encapsulation of Silymarin and Mesenchymal Stromal Cells in PEG Norbornene Microgels Enhances HepG2 Cell Resistance to Inflammatory Damage
T2  - Journal of Polymer Materials

PY  - 2026
VL  - 43
IS  - 2
SN  - 0976-3449

AB  - Inflammatory liver injury represents a significant clinical challenge, characterized by a hostile immune microenvironment and extensive tissue damage. Although silymarin and mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) show promise in treating inflammatory liver injury, their efficacy is restricted by the drug’s poor bioavailability while MSC therapy is hampered by low cellular viability under inflammatory stress. To overcome these challenges, we engineered a droplet-microfluidic-assisted platform to co-encapsulate silymarin and MSCs within uniform, biocompatible polyethylene glycol-norbornene (PEGNB) hydrogel microspheres. This design establishes a dual-functional scaffold that supports MSC survival by shielding them from the harsh milieu while enabling the sustained, localized release of silymarin. Crucially, we elucidate a synergistic mechanism wherein the sustained release of silymarin modulates the local microenvironment, and augmenting the paracrine activity of the co-encapsulated MSCs. This synergy is significantly supported by a marked elevation in the expression of anti-inflammatory factors, including Interleukin-10 (IL-10) and Transforming Growth Factor-β (TGF-β). Establishing an indirect co-culture via transwell inserts, we demonstrate that this bio-functionalized platform significantly mitigates Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced damage in HepG2 cells by suppressing pro-inflammatory cytokines, including Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α) and Interleukin-6 (IL-6), while preserving hepatocyte metabolic stability against inflammatory stress. This high-throughput strategy offers a promising approach to modulate pathological stress microenvironments, driving advancements in precision regenerative medicine.
KW  - Droplet-microfluidics; PEGNB microgels; MSCs; silymarin; hepatoprotection; sustained release

DO  - 10.32604/jpm.2026.081661