Biomimetic Hydrogel Supports the Development of Murine Primary Ovarian Follicles Co-cultured with Human Adipose Derived Stem Cells

摘要

Co-culture of ADSCs with early stage follicles in a dual-functional PEG hydrogel improved follicle growth and survival through soluble paracrine factors and enhanced degradation for follicle expansion. The use of the biocompatible and biodegradable PEG hydrogels offers a xeno-free culture system that could be used to culture large species and human follicles. Moreover, ADSCs can be derived in a patient specific way in clinical settings, therefore making this approach highly translational.