Synthesis and evaluation of dual crosslinked alginate microbeads.

Abstract

Alginate, a naturally occurring polysaccharide, has been used for cell encapsulation to prevent graft rejection of cell transplants for people with type I diabetes. Although some success has been observed in clinical trials, the lack of reproducibility and failure to reach insulin dependence for longer periods of time indicates the need for improvements in the procedure. A major requirement for the long-term function of alginate encapsulated cells is the mechanical stability of microcapsules. Insufficient mechanical integrity of the capsules can lead to immunological reactions in the recipients. In this work, alginate was modified to allow photoactivatable groups in order to allow formation of covalent crosslinks in addition to ionic crosslinking. The dual crosslinking design prevents capsule breakdown following implantation in vivo.