Progress in microencapsulation of stem cells

Abstract:

For the regenerative therapy of refractory diseases, stem cells have become an excellent source of seed cells due to their strong self-renewal and multi-differentiation abilities. Microcapsules can provide a three-dimensional growth environment with a good immunoisolation and biocompatibility for cells, and the microencapsulation of stem cells provides a new technical support for large-scale cell culture with high activities in vitro and long-term preservation, consequently opening up a new alternative for cell transplantation. In this review, we first outlined the development of microencapsulation, then introduced the present materials and methods for the microencapsulation of stem cells and its immunoisolation, and discussed the progress in microencapsulation technology, various types of stem cell used in recent years in details. Finally, we addressed perspectives of stem cell microencapsulation technology.