Chronic wounds remain a significant clinical challenge, in part because it is difficult to deliver sustained, localized immune signals that coordinate tissue repair. While cytokines play a central role in regulating inflammation and healing, conventional delivery approaches are often limited by rapid degradation and poor retention at the wound site.

The device, developed in the laboratory of Omid Veiseh, encapsulates ARPE-19 cells engineered to secrete specific cytokines, including IL-10, IL-12 and TGF-β. These cells are housed within a biocompatible matrix that allows nutrients and therapeutic proteins to pass through while shielding the cells from the host immune system.