A microporous liraglutide-releasing silk fibroin scaffold improves islet transplantation outcomes through anti-inflammatory effect

Islet transplantation represents one of the most promising therapies for curing type 1 diabetes, yet it encounters significant challenges, including early islet damage due to inflammation and hypoxia, which complicate engraftment and survival within the host. It is urgent to develop new strategies to improve islet grafts survival. In this study, we developed a microporous silk fibroin scaffold loaded with liraglutide (SF-Lira). It can provide mechanical support for the islets seeded on its surface and prevent excessive aggregation. The SF-Lira scaffold significantly protected the islets from inflammatory injury, notably enhancing islet viability. In the syngeneic islet transplantation model, SF-Lira significantly improved transplantation outcomes at the epididymal fat pad (EFP) site, with a higher percentage of mice achieving and maintaining normoglycemia compared to the control. Histological analysis revealed superior graft morphology in the SF-Lira group. Our study provides new insights into the application of SF scaffold in islet transplantation and shows potential for clinical translation in extrahepatic islet transplantation.