The Long-Term Culture of Encapsulated Pancreatic Islets

Abstract

A new encapsulation technique, the formation of a polyelectrolyte complex membrane from sodium cellulose sulphate and a polycationic solution (polydimethyldiallylammoniumchloride) can be used for culturing pancreatic islets. After 5 weeks of culture, such encapsulated islets were morphologically well preserved, and parameters of cell viability and functionality such as DNA content and DNA synthesis, insulin content and stimulated insulin release were not different between the encapsulated and non-encapsulated control islets. A lower insulin secretion into the medium of the encapsulated islets during the first 3 weeks of culture can probably be explained by the capsule diameter (4-5 mm) and should be improved using microcapsules with a diameter of less than 1 mm.

Therapy with Cell Encapsulation for Substitution of Organ Function and Tumor Treatment

“…Finally, entire organ function can be substituted for such as of the liver, [41,67] kidney, [68] or parathyroid gland. [69] The treatment of diabetes with microencapsulated islets has been one of the prime areas of research for more than 20 years; [70,71] however, clinical studies are sparse. [72] Another indication is the so-called GDEPT in which the encapsulated cells express an enzyme that converts a prodrug administered otherwise (e.g., systemically) at the site of the encapsulated cells.…”