Biofabrication methods capable of generating complex, three-dimensional, cell-laden hydrogel geometries are often challenging technologies to implement in the clinic and scaled manufacturing processes. Hydrogel injection molding capitalizes on the reproducibility, efficiency, and scalability of the injection molding process, and we adapt this technique to biofabrication using a library of natural and synthetic hydrogels with varied crosslinking chemistries and kinetics. We use computational modeling to evaluate hydrogel library fluid dynamics within the injection molds in order to predict molding feasibility and cytocompatibility. We evaluate the reproducibility of hydrogel construct molding and extraction and establish criteria for the selection of hydrogels suitable for injection molding. We demonstrate that hydrogel injection molding is capable of generating complex three-dimensional cell-laden construct geometries using diverse hydrogel materials and that this platform is compatible with primary human islet encapsulation. These results highlight the versatility and feasibility of hydrogel injection molding as a biofabrication technique with potential applications in the clinic and biomanufacturing.

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Dull (2011) Early clinical experience with a candidate meningococcal B recombinant vaccine (rMenB) in healthy adults, Human Vaccines, 7:7, 781-791, DOI: 10.4161/hv.7.7.15997 To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.4161/hv.7.7.15997 IntroductionVaccination against invasive meningococcal disease is recognized as an optimal measure to prevent disability and mortality; however traditional approaches are not applicable to serogroup B because of the biochemistry of the capsular polysaccharide. 1-4Outer membrane vesicle-based vaccines have successfully limited clonal outbreaks in Cuba, Norway, and New Zealand, but do not provide protection against heterologous strains because they largely rely for their immunogenicity on Porin A, which does not elicit bactericidal antibodies that provide cross protection with non-homologous variants. 2 The need for additional vaccine options against this elusive serogroup resulted in the investigation of surface exposed proteins as vaccine antigens.Several meningococcal surface antigens that are conserved across numerous pathogenic strains were identified using wholegenome sequencing, which subsequently led to the development Background: The development of a broadly protective vaccine against meningococcal serogroup B is a well-recognized public health need. Whole-genome sequencing was used to identify meningococcal surface proteins that are conserved across strains. These proteins were incorporated into two investigational vaccines.Methods: Three randomized studies were performed to evaluate a 3-component recombinant meningococcal serogroup B vaccine (rMenB) and rMenB plus outer membrane vesicles from the Norwegian outbreak strain 44/76 (rMenB+OMVNW). participants were randomized to receive 3 or 4 doses of rMenB or rMenB+OMVNW or control vaccines and provided sera for exploratory immunogenicity testing against a panel of meningococcal serogroup B strains. a booster dose was administered 12 mo after the initial primary series in one of the studies. The control cohort received a licensed quadrivalent meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine against serogroups a, c, W-135 and Y as well as hepatitis B vaccine as safety comparators. solicited reactions within 7 d of any vaccination and adverse events throughout the studies were recorded.Results: One hundred four participants enrolled into the clinical trials. Both rMenB and rMenB+OMVNW induced immune responses to multiple serogroup B strains in the majority of participants. compared with rMenB, rMenB+OMVNW appeared somewhat more immunogenic and reactogenic; the study was not adequately powered for statistical assessment of these small differences. Both investigational vaccines were more reactogenic than the licensed vaccines. Few vaccinees discontinued any study due to reactogenicity to any study vaccine administered.conclusion: Based on the immunogenicity and reactogenicity results in these participants, both rMenB and rMenB+OMVNW were promising candidates for further investigation.

The development of biomaterial-based therapeutics to induce immune tolerance holds great promise for the treatment of autoimmune diseases, allergy, and graft rejection in transplantation. Historical approaches to treat these immunological...