Injectable scaffolds have the potential to improve the adoptive cell therapy treatment by delivering and maintaining T lymphocytes and cytokines at the tumor site unlike traditional intravenous treatments. However, the lack of oxygen in the scaffold before angiogenesis occurs limits cell survival and proliferation and hence the efficacy of this approach. This project is a first step toward oxygenating a chitosan hydrogel scaffold for cell therapy using calcium peroxide (CaO2). It was divided into two objectives.
The first objective aimed to identify a cell model to test the oxygen-rich hydrogel. The effects of hypoxia on T cells encapsulated in scaffolds (without CaO2) were evaluated for two different cell lines using live/dead and metabolic activity assays and cytometry analyses. In some cases, hypoxia seemed to decrease cell viability and proliferation but promote activation, central memory (and effector) phenotype and exhaustion.
The second objective aimed to develop and evaluate the efficacy of an approach to oxygenate hydrogels with CaO2. The peroxide was coated with hydroxyapatite in phosphate buffer to obtain a constant and prolonged oxygen release in the scaffold instead of the intrinsic burst release of CaO2. Changing the coating parameters greatly impacted the product release and the morphology/nature of the coating. The ideal release profile could not be obtained but coating at 50oC and increasing the particle concentration in the gel were promising parameters according to the results. Detection methods for oxygen and hydrogen peroxide released from CaO2 were also investigated.
In conclusion, this project was an important first step in the development of an oxygen-rich scaffold to improve the survival and the proliferation of encapsulated cells. This scaffold could also benefit other cell therapies.
| Date | 23 Jul 2026 |
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| Original language | French |
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| Awarding Institution | - École de technologie supérieure
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| Supervisor | Sophie Lerouge (Supervisor) |
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Poirier, É. (Author),
Lerouge (Supervisor),
23 Jul 2026Student thesis: Master's thesis › Master in Engineering: Engineering