In this study, the feasibility of using calcium phosphate cement (CPC) as immunoisolative device to enclose insulinoma/agarose microspheres as bioartificial pancreas was evaluated. We fabricated a chamber by CPC and utilized X-ray diffraction, Scanning electron microscope and Mercury intrusion porosimetry to identify the characters of the CPC chamber. The nominal molecular weight cut-off and cytotoxicity of CPC chamber were also evaluated. An insulinoma cell line (RIN-m5F) was chosen as insulin source and encapsulated in agarose microspheres and then enclosed in preformed CPC chamber. Insulin secretion was analyzed by Enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay to evaluate the function of insulinoma enclosed in CPC chamber. Results showed that the CPC chamber was non-cytotoxicity to insulinoma and can block the penetration of molecules which molecular weight larger than 12.4 kDa. Insulinoma inside the CPC chamber can secrete insulin in stable level for 30 days. This study indicated that we may use CPC as immunoisolative material to enclose insulinoma/agarose microspheres as bioartificial pancreas.
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