Injectable alginate-microencapsulated canine adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells for enhanced viable cell retention

• Published in: Journal of Veterinary Medical Science Vol. 79; no. 3; pp. 492 - 501
• Main Authors: KOH, Eunji, JUNG, Yun Chan, WOO, Heung-Myong, KANG, Byung-Jae
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan JAPANESE SOCIETY OF VETERINARY SCIENCE 2017; Japan Science and Technology Agency; The Japanese Society of Veterinary Science
• Subjects: Adipose tissue; Adipose Tissue - cytology; alginate; Alginates; Alginates - toxicity; Alginic acid; Animal models; Animal tissues; Animals; Biocompatible Materials; canine; Capsules - administration & dosage; Capsules - chemistry; Capsules - toxicity; Cell Proliferation; Cell Separation - veterinary; Cell Survival; Dogs - anatomy & histology; Encapsulation; Glucuronic Acid - toxicity; HEK293 Cells; Hexuronic Acids - toxicity; Humans; injectable; Male; mesenchymal stem cell; Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation - veterinary; Mesenchymal stem cells; Mesenchymal Stem Cells - cytology; Mesenchyme; Mice; Mice, Inbred ICR; Microcapsules; Microencapsulation; Microspheres; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Retention; Stem cell transplantation; Stem cells; Surgery; Toxicity; Toxicity testing; Viability
• DOI: 10.1292/jvms.16-0456
• ISSN: 0916-7250

The purpose of this study was to establish an optimized protocol for the production of alginate-encapsulated canine adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (cASCs) and evaluate their suitability for clinical use, including viability, proliferation and in vivo cell retention. Alginate microbeads were formed by vibrational technology and the production of injectable microbeads was performed using various parameters with standard methodology. Microbead toxicity was tested in an animal model. Encapsulated cASCs were evaluated for viability and proliferation in vitro. HEK-293 cells, with or without microencapsulation, were injected into the subcutaneous tissue of mice and were tracked using in vivo bioluminescent imaging to evaluate the retention of transplanted cells. The optimized injectable microbeads were of uniform size and approximately 250 µm in diameter. There was no strong evidence of in vivo toxicity for the alginate beads. The cells remained viable after encapsulation, and there was evidence of in vitro proliferation within the microcapsules. In vivo bioluminescent imaging showed that alginate encapsulation improved the retention of transplanted cells and the encapsulated cells remained viable in vivo for 7 days. Encapsulation enhances the retention of viable cells in vivo and might represent a potential strategy to increase the therapeutic potency and efficacy of stem cells.