title: Polymer hydrogel capsules: en route toward synthetic cellular systems.
abstract: Engineered synthetic cellular systems are expected to become a powerful biomedical platform for the development of next-generation therapeutic carrier vehicles. In this mini-review, we discuss the potential of polymer capsules derived by the layer-by-layer assembly as a platform system for the construction of artificial cells and organelles. We outline the characteristics of polymer capsules that make them unique for these applications, and we describe several successful examples of microencapsulated catalysis, including biologically relevant enzymatic reactions. We also provide examples of subcompartmentalized polymer capsules, which represent a major step toward the creation of synthetic cells.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.
authors.forename: Brigitte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Städler
authors.forename: Andrew D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Price
authors.forename: Rona
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chandrawati
authors.forename: Leticia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hosta-Rigau
authors.forename: Alexander N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Zelikin
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Caruso
mesh_terms: D002477:Cells; D020100:Hydrogels; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008954:Models, Biological; D010539:Permeability; D011108:Polymers
chemical_list: D020100:Hydrogels; D011108:Polymers