ABSTRACT
Cell encapsulation is a research area which has emerged as an exciting approach for numerous biomedical applications including delivery of therapeutics and regenerative medicine. The seminal study of Lim and Sun[1] published in 1980, using encapsulated islets of Langerhans to temporarily restore euglycemia in diabetic rats, offered a glimpse at the potential of combining living tissue with materials for transplantation. One of the primary motivations for cell encapsulation is isolation of cells from components of the immune system following transplantation. This could facilitate transplantation of allogeneic or xenogeneic tissue or reduce the need for immunosuppressive drugs. Materials can also be used to support cell function, and this is a primary requirement in tissue engineering. Materials can not only provide the desired shape for the tissue being formed but can also be designed to guide differentiation of encapsulated cells toward the desired phenotypes.
