Therapeutic cell encapsulation: ten steps towards clinical translation

Abstract

Since the conception of cell microencapsulation, many scientists bet on this biotechnology as they saw in it a promising alternative to protect transplanted cells from host immunoresponse. Some decades later, this initial enthusiasm is giving rise to a phase of certain conformism and lack of novel advances in the field. This perspective critically discusses current challenges needed to help this approach become a realistic clinical proposal. Alginate seems to be well established as the biomaterial of choice, but additional efforts are needed regarding current cross-linkers and coatings. Biofunctionalization of the matrices may provide the necessary biomimetic microenvironment to control cell behavior. Different alginate degradation rates would allow widening the applications of this biotechnology from drug delivery to cell delivery. In this sense, stem cells from stromal tissues could be the most suitable cell source due to their intrinsic hypoimmunogenicity, their immunomodulatory effects and their capacity to cell homing. The incorporation of suicide and reporter genes in the genome of enclosed cells may overcome some of the existing biosafety concerns. Administration and extraction by means of less invasive procedures also need to be developed to succeed in clinical translation. Finally, improving cost-effectiveness for the scale-up, together with establishing and fulfilling a series of strict regulatory aspects will be indispensable to make the final step to the clinic.