A Perspective on Bioactive Cell Microencapsulation

Bioactive cell encapsulation has emerged as a promising tool for the treatment of patients with various disorders including diabetes mellitus, central nervous system diseases, and cardiovascular diseases. The implantation of encapsulated cells that secrete a therapeutic product (protein, peptide, or antibody) within a semipermeable membrane provides a physical barrier to mask the implant from immune surveillance at a local level without the need for systemic immunosuppression; this serves to achieve a successful therapeutic function following in vivo implantation. The aim of this review article is to provide an update on the progress in this field. The current state of cell encapsulation technology as a controlled drug delivery system will be covered in detail, and the essential requirements of the technology, the challenges, and the future directions under investigation will be highlighted. The technical and biological advances, together with the increasing experience in the field, may lead to the realization of the full potential of bioactive cell encapsulation in the coming years. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]