The DRI Tissue Engineering group is aggressively pursuing the development of nanoencapsulation -- applying the same layering technology used in the electronics, optics and sensor industries.
By adapting this methodology to cell-based science, researchers are developing biocompatible coatings on the same scale as the cell membrane.
These coatings can serve as a type of “camouflage” for implanted islets, allowing them to go unnoticed by the body and avoid inflammatory reactions or immune attack.
Oygen delivery improved
Another major advantage of this type of encapsulation is minimizing the size of the capsule and virtually eliminating the problem of oxygen delivery created by the space inside traditional microcapsules.
The very thin coating has relatively little effect on diffusion in and out of the cell. Researchers are evaluating how effective multiple layers could be in protecting islets.
In another step forward, new technology is providing the tools to enable nanocapsules to actually defend themselves. DRI researchers are developing more “active” capsules by attaching anti-inflammatory molecules to their surface to reduce adverse reactions, such as clot formation and leukocyte infiltration of the islets.
Key partnership with leading scientist
To further these efforts, the DRI established a partnership with Dr. Jeffrey Hubbell, Professor and Director of the Integrative Biosciences Institute, and Professor of the Institute for Chemical Sciences and Engineering at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland. Dr. Hubbell is world renowned for his work with biomaterials for tissue engineering and drug delivery.
The collaboration will focus on developing new encapsulation devices and investigating strategies for local drug delivery at the transplant site.
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