Recent development in cell encapsulations and their therapeutic applications

Chronic and degenerative diseases are the main causes of death in the aging population worldwide. These diseases are currently maintained using long term administration of conventional drugs which are not curative and reduce the life quality of patients. It is urgent to develop new therapeutic approaches for the treatment of these diseases. Cell therapy that involves the injection of viable cell into patients is a promising therapeutic strategy in chronic and degenerative diseases. However, the survival of injected cells in host tissue is limited due to immunoresponse. Cell encapsulation potentially improves treatment approaches using viable cells and overcome the immuno-rejection following cell transplantation. In this review, we first present the main components and their different functions in the cell encapsulation, including semi permeable membrane, types of cells and matrix. Then, the recently developed technologies and approaches employed to encapsulate cells are summarized and compared in benefits and flaws. More importantly, the insights and significance of the encapsulated cells are also discussed in the application of treating various diseases.