abstract
In the primordial cell encapsulation systems, the main goal is to treat endocrine diseases avoiding the action of the immune system. Although lessons afforded by such systems are of outmost importance for the demands of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, the paradigm has recently completely changed. If before the most important feature was to mask the encapsulated cells from the immune system, now it is known that the synergetic interplay between immune cells and the engineered niche is responsible for an adequate regenerative process. Combined with such immuno-awareness, novel or nonconventional emerging techniques are being proposed to develop the new generation of cell encapsulation systems, namely layer-by-layer, microfluidics, superhydrophobic surfaces, and bioprinting technologies. Alongside the desire to create more realistic cell encapsulation systems, cell-laden hydrogels are being explored as building blocks for bottom-up strategies, within the concept of modular tissue engineering. The idea is to use the well-established cell-friendly environment provided by hydrogels and create more close-to-native systems that possess high heterogeneity, while providing multifunctional and adaptive inputs.
keywords
MESENCHYMAL STEM-CELLS; STRUCTURED SUPERHYDROPHOBIC SURFACES; ENGINEERED HEART-TISSUE; FOREIGN-BODY RESPONSE; HYALURONIC-ACID; EXTRACELLULAR-MATRIX; ALGINATE HYDROGEL; IN-VITRO; IMMUNOMODULATORY PROPERTIES; COMPARTMENTALIZED CAPSULES
subject category
Chemistry; Science & Technology - Other Topics; Materials Science; Physics
authors
Correia, CR; Nadine, S; Mano, JF
our authors
Projects
acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) for the Doctoral grant of Sara Nadine with the Reference No. SFRH/BD/130194/2017, and funding for project CIRCUS (PTDC/BTM-MAT/31064/2017). The authors also acknowledge funding from the European Research Council for project ATLAS (Grant Agreement No. ERC-2014-ADG-669858). This work was developed within the scope of the project CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials, UIDB/50011/2020 & UIDP/50011/2020, financed by national funds through the FCT/MEC and when appropriate co-financed by FEDER under the PT2020 Partnership Agreement.