Natural extracellular matrices (ECMs) have been widely used as a support for the adhesion, migration, differentiation, and proliferation of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs). However, poor mechanical behavior and unpredictable biodegradation properties of natural ECMs considerably limit their potential for bioapplications and raise the need for different, synthetic scaffolds. Hydrogels are regarded as the most promising alternative materials as a consequence of their excellent swelling properties and their resemblance to soft tissues. A variety of strategies have been applied to create synthetic biomimetic hydrogels, and their biophysical and biochemical properties have been modulated to be suitable for cell differentiation. In this review, we first give an overview of common methods for hydrogel preparation with a focus on those strategies that provide potential advantages for ADSC encapsulation, before summarizing the physical properties of hydrogel scaffolds that can act as biological cues. Finally, the challenges in the preparation and application of hydrogels with ADSCs are explored and the perspectives are proposed for the next generation of scaffolds.

Group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2) are essential to maintain tissue homeostasis. In cancer, ILC2 can harbor both pro- and anti-tumorigenic functions but we know very little about their underlying mechanisms, nor whether they could be clinically relevant or targeted to improve patient outcomes. Here, we found that high ILC2 infiltration in human melanoma was associated with a good clinical prognosis. ILC2 are critical producers of the cytokine granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) which coordinate the recruitment and activation of eosinophils to enhance anti-tumor responses. Tumor-infiltrating ILC2 expressed programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1), which limited their intratumoral accumulation, proliferation and anti-tumor effector functions. This inhibition could be overcome in vivo by combining IL-33-driven ILC2 activation with PD-1 blockade to significantly increase anti-tumor responses. Together, our results identified ILC2 as a critical immune cell type involved in melanoma immunity and revealed a potential synergistic approach to harness ILC2 function for anti-tumor immunotherapies.

Interleukin (IL)-17–producing CD8+ T (Tc17) cells have emerged as key players in host-microbiota interactions, infection, and cancer. The factors that drive their development, in contrast to interferon (IFN)-γ–producing effector CD8+ T cells, are not clear. Here we demonstrate that the transcription factor TCF-1 (Tcf7) regulates CD8+ T cell fate decisions in double-positive (DP) thymocytes through the sequential suppression of MAF and RORγt, in parallel with TCF-1–driven modulation of chromatin state. Ablation of TCF-1 resulted in enhanced Tc17 cell development and exposed a gene set signature to drive tissue repair and lipid metabolism, which was distinct from other CD8+ T cell subsets. IL-17–producing CD8+ T cells isolated from healthy humans were also distinct from CD8+IL-17− T cells and enriched in pathways driven by MAF and RORγt. Overall, our study reveals how TCF-1 exerts central control of T cell differentiation in the thymus by normally repressing Tc17 differentiation and promoting an effector fate outcome.