Fig. 5
Schematic illustrating the device-less (DL) procedure and DL in the combination of SiO2-VEGF scaffolds for IT at subcutaneous. It comprised of 3 steps including: A A silicone/nylon catheter was pre-implanted subcutaneously (A1) (red arrow) to prevascularization and removed after 14 days; B islet isolation and SiO2-VEGF NFs wrapping (Blue mats = NFs, yellow dots = VEGF). (B1: wrapped islets; B2: expanded mouse islet for isolation; B3: syngeneic islets are isolated and collected (bar = 100 µm); B4. islet viability is detected by live/dead assay (bar = 100 µm)); C islet or wrapped islet (C1) transplantation in the prevascularized percutaneous cavity in diabetic mice. Reproduced with the permission from reference [113]