Soft Materials Initiative Seminar

Living pharmacy implants use engineered cells to synthesize and release therapeutic proteins on demand, offering closed-loop treatment of chronic diseases without repeated injections. Reaching clinically relevant doses requires dense cell encapsulation, but these cells consume oxygen faster than passive diffusion can supply it. Existing oxygen sources either deplete rapidly or lack release control. In this talk, we present WireOx, an implantable device that generates oxygen on demand by catalyzing water oxidation at sputtered iridium oxide films on platinum wire, with output precisely tuned by applied current. We will show that controlled oxygenation sustains cell viability in high-density grafts and outline our progress toward in vivo validation. Furthermore, we demonstrate that controlled oxygen levels can actuate cell output through an oxygen-responsive genetic circuit within a narrow window bounded by hypoxic and hyperoxic stress. Finally, we will discuss the implications of this therapeutic window for designing oxygen-managed living pharmacy implants.