A Status Report on the Microencapsulation of Cells for Immunoisolation

Microencapsulation of cells as a means of insulin or other protein delivery (for example, for gene therapy) has not yet realized its potential. Three aspects of this problem are illustrated with reference to the use of poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate - co-methyl methacrylate) [HEMA-MMA]: conformal coating to make very small capsules, adding extracellular matrix proteins to control phenotype and controlling the inflammatory response to capsules. While progress is being made on several fronts, this type of tissue engineering construct is still several years away from routine use in humans.