title: History, challenges and perspectives of cell microencapsulation.
abstract: Cell microencapsulation continues to hold significant promise for biotechnology and medicine. The controlled, and continuous, delivery of therapeutic products to the host by immunoisolated cells is a potentially cost-effective method to treat a wide range of diseases. Although there are several issues that need to be addressed, including capsule manufacture, properties and performance, in the past few years, a stepwise analysis on the essential obstacles and limitations has brought the whole technology closer to a realistic proposal for clinical application. This paper summarizes the current situation in the cell encapsulation field and discusses the main events that have occurred along the way.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of the Basque Country, 01006, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
authors.forename: Gorka
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Orive
authors.forename: Rose Maria
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Hernández
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rodríguez Gascón
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Calafiore
authors.forename: Thomas Ming Swi
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: de Vos
authors.forename: Gonzalo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hortelano
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hunkeler
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lacík
authors.forename: José Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Pedraz
mesh_terms: D017690:Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D004337:Drug Carriers; D004339:Drug Compounding / Q000379:methods; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D013678:Technology, Pharmaceutical / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends
chemical_list: D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible; D004337:Drug Carriers