Chapter 33 - Bioengineering, biomaterials, and β-cell replacement therapy

Abstract

The field of biomaterials, regenerative medicine, and bioengineering has in the last decade connected with islet transplantation research. This chapter describes some of the more recent advances and gives some typical examples of biomaterials and fabrication techniques used for the creation of a β-cell replacement device with some emphasis on 3D printing. After this chapter the reader should have a general understanding of biomaterials and some of the bioengineering strategies used to create a tailor-made implant for extrahepatic islet or β-cell transplantation.