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Emulsion strategies in the microencapsulation of cells: Pathways to thin coherent membranes
Author(s) -
Leung A.,
Ramaswamy Y.,
Munro P.,
Lawrie G.,
Nielsen L.,
Trau M.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
biotechnology and bioengineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.136
H-Index - 189
eISSN - 1097-0290
pISSN - 0006-3592
DOI - 10.1002/bit.20597
Subject(s) - calcium alginate , spheroid , membrane , cell encapsulation , emulsion , calcium , biocompatible material , chemistry , biophysics , fluorescence microscope , materials science , cell , biomedical engineering , chemical engineering , biochemistry , fluorescence , in vitro , biology , medicine , physics , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics , engineering
Microencapsulation of cell spheroids in an immunoselective, highly biocompatible, biomembrane offers a way to create viable implantation options in the treatment of insulin‐dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). Traditionally the encapsulation process has been achieved through the injection/extrusion of alginate/cell mixtures into a calcium chloride solution to produce calcium alginate capsules around the cells. A novel alternative is explored here through a procedure using an emulsion process to produce thin adherent calcium alginate membranes around cell spheroids. In this study, a thorough investigation has been used to establish the emulsion process parameters that are critical to the formation of a coherent alginate coat both on a model spheroid system and subsequently on cell spheroids. Optical and fluorescence microscopy are used to assess the morphology and coherence of the calcium alginate/poly‐ L ‐ornithine/alginate (APA) capsules produced. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.