Microcapsules combining alginate, chitosan, poly-l-lysine and polyethyelene glycol for liver cell transplant and cell therapy applications

Liver diseases are the eighth leading cause of death in North America. Currently, liver transplant is the available treatment for patients with liver failure. However, the shortage of donors and the requirement of immunosuppressant remain a disadvantage. Microencapsulation of living cells is an emerging technology which may serve as an alternative therapy for patients requiring organ transplants. One of the limiting factors in the progress of such therapy is attaining a biocompatible and mechanically stable polymer. In the following thesis, a novel microcapsules combining alginate, poly-l-lysine, chitosan and polyethylene glycol (ACPPA) was designed and evaluated for its use in the treatment of liver failure. In vitro studies were also conducted to compare the novel membrane, with other microcapsules, including the widely studied APA microcapsules as well as alginate coated with chitosan (AC), APA with PEG (APPA) and AC with PEG (ACP). Results show that the novel membrane can support liver cell proliferation and function and is capable of providing cell immuno-protection. The study reveals that chitosan and PEG containing microcapsules can be an alternate material for cell microencapsulation to be used for live cell delivery and other biomedical applications. Further in-vivo studies are recommended to evaluate the full potentials.