Development of a microchannel emulsification process for pancreatic beta cell encapsulation |
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Authors: | Christina ME Bitar Karen E Markwick Du?ana Tre?ová Zuzana Kroneková Michal Pelach Chloé MO Selerier James Dietrich Igor Lacík Corinne A Hoesli |
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Institution: | 1. Department of Chemical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada;2. Department for Biomaterials Research, Polymer Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia;3. Advanced Radio Frequency Systems Laboratory, CMC Microsystems, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada |
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Abstract: | In this study, we developed a high-throughput microchannel emulsification process to encapsulate pancreatic beta cells in monodisperse alginate beads. The process builds on a stirred emulsification and internal gelation method previously adapted to pancreatic cell encapsulation. Alginate bead production was achieved by flowing a 0.5–2.5% alginate solution with cells and CaCO3 across a 1-mm thick polytetrafluoroethylene plate with 700 × 200 μm rectangular straight-through channels. Alginate beads ranging from 1.5–3 mm in diameter were obtained at production rates exceeding 140 mL/hr per microchannel. Compared to the stirred emulsification process, the microchannel emulsification beads had a narrower size distribution and demonstrated enhanced compressive burst strength. Both microchannel and stirred emulsification beads exhibited homogeneous profiles of 0.7% alginate concentration using an initial alginate solution concentration of 1.5%. Encapsulated beta cell viability of 89 ± 2% based on live/dead staining was achieved by minimizing the bead residence time in the acidified organic phase fluid. Microchannel emulsification is a promising method for clinical-scale pancreatic beta cell encapsulation as well as other applications in the pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic industries. |
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Keywords: | alginate cellular therapy emulsion encapsulation microchannel |
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