Quantification of oxygenation levels within biocompatible hydrogels subcutaneously implanted in rats

Cell therapy has the potential to repair irreversible pathologies including infarction and diabetes. High survival rate of the delivered cells is essential for effective treatment, where cell oxygenation is a critical factor. Biocompatible hydrogels are often used as cell delivery vehicles. Here, we propose an approach to quantify the oxygen availability that the cells encapsulated in biocompatible hydrogels experience after cell transplantation. In this study, we demonstrate the feasibility of assessing the pO2 within the hydrogels implanted in rats by combining the hydrogel with a previously developed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) -based tissue oximetry technique.