title: Grafts of microencapsulated pancreatic islet cells for the therapy of diabetes mellitus in non-immunosuppressed animals.
abstract: Pancreatic-islet-cell transplantation may reverse hyperglycaemia in diabetic recipients that undertake general pharmacological immunosuppression. A major challenge that remains is the need to avoid immunosuppression associated with the use of allogeneic or heterologous islet cells. In the present study we demonstrate the use of microencapsulation of cells using artificial biocompatible and permselective membranes prepared with alginic acid derivatives and polyamino acids. While characterization of the microcapsule constituent polymers continues to progress, other technical issues such as definition of the immunobarrier capacity, biocompatibility, size, shape and graft site have come into sharper focus. Assessment of microcapsules properties, in order to establish possible guidelines for fabrication of reproducible membranes, and results from both in vitro functional testing, and in vivo encapsulated-islet-transplant outcome in several animal models of diabetes are reported.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Internal Medicine and Endocrine and Metabolic Sciences (Di.M.I.), University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Calafiore
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Basta
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Luca
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Calvitti
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Calabrese
authors.forename: Leda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Racanicchi
authors.forename: Giacomo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Macchiarulo
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mancuso
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guido
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brunetti
mesh_terms: D000464:Alginates / Q000737:chemistry; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D048429:Cell Size; D002470:Cell Survival; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000601:surgery*; D004285:Dogs; D020723:Glucuronic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006603:Hexuronic Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D016867:Immunocompromised Host / Q000276:immunology; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D016381:Islets of Langerhans Transplantation / Q000379:methods* / Q000473:pathology*; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D051379:Mice; D013311:Streptozocin; D013552:Swine; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000464:Alginates; D006603:Hexuronic Acids; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D013311:Streptozocin; D020723:Glucuronic Acid