Building Fucoidan/Agarose-Based Hydrogels as a Platform for the Development of Therapeutic Approaches Against Diabetes

The study investigates the development of fucoidan/agarose-based hydrogels as a potential platform for diabetes treatment. These hydrogels, created through a thermal gelation process, exhibit viscoelastic properties and are capable of encapsulating human pancreatic cells (1.1B4HP), maintaining their viability and organization into pseudo-islets for up to 7 days. The mechanical properties of the hydrogels, such as stiffness and nutrient permeability, can be adjusted by varying the concentrations of agarose and fucoidan. The presence of fucoidan enhances cell encapsulation and organization, making these hydrogels promising for cell encapsulation and drug delivery in diabetes management. The study highlights the potential of these hydrogels to serve as effective carriers for therapeutic agents, offering a new method for diabetes therapy.