Gelatin methacryloyl microneedle loaded with 3D-MSC-Exosomes for the protection of ischemia-reperfusion

Exosomes (Exo) generated from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have great therapeutic potential in ischemia-reperfusion treatment. For best therapeutic effect, high quality Exo product and effective delivery system are indispensable. In this study, we developed a new strategy for ischemia-reperfusion recovery by combining MSCs 3D (3D-MSC) culturing technology to generate Exo (3D-MSC-Exo) and microneedle for topical delivery. Firstly, primary MSCs from neonatal mice were isolated and 3D cultured with gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) hydrogel to prepare 3D-MSC-Exo. The 3D-MSC showed better viability and 3D-MSC-Exo exhibited more effective effects of reducing neuroinflammation, inhibiting glial scarring, and promoting angiogenesis. Subsequently, the biocompatible GelMA was used to construct microneedles for 3D-Exo delivery (GelMA-MN@3D-Exo). The results demonstrated GelMA microneedles had excellent 3D-Exo loading capacity and enabled continuous 3D-Exo release to maintain effective therapeutic concentrations. Furthermore, the rat middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model was established to evaluate the therapeutic effect of GelMA-MN@3D-Exo in ischemia-reperfusion in vivo. Animal experiments showed that the GelMA-MN@3D-Exo system could effectively reduce the local neuroinflammatory reaction, promote angiogenesis and minimize glial scar proliferation in ischemia-reperfusion. The underlying reasons for the stronger neuroprotective effect of 3D-Exo was further studied using mass spectrometry and transcriptome assays, verifying their effects on immune regulation and cell proliferation. Taken together, our findings demonstrated that GelMA-MN@3D-Exo microneedle can effectively attenuate ischemia-reperfusion cell damage in the MCAO model, which provides a promising therapeutic strategy for ischemia-reperfusion recovery.