Design of a macroencapsula­tion device for pancreatic islets

Cell macroencapsulation circumvents the host immune system response against foreign tissue, bearing enormous potential as a safeguard for cell-based therapies for diabetes treatment. With this technology, pancreatic islets can safely be transplanted without immunosuppression, facilitating islet survival and function by embedding these in a customised matrix. So far, no islet encapsulation device has been shown to be fully functional in a clinical trial. In this project, we aim to overcome the limitations of current approaches of cell encapsulation. The novel macroencapsulation device for pancreatic islets is designed down to the micro- and nanoscale covering the most critical aspects of immunoisolation, a clinically scalable device geometry, intrinsic oxygenation and a tailored matrix supporting long-term islet survival and function. By application of advanced additive manufacturing technologies to the prototyping process, a modular encapsulation device has been designed. The design of this geometry focusses on sufficient oxygen availability and optimal diffusion characteristics to the islets in various means. The encapsulation device comprises three modules: a membrane holder, a skeleton and an islet housing module.

Publications:

Lung Based Engineered Micro-Pancreas Sustains Human Beta Cell Survival and Functionality. O. Goldman, D. Puchinsky, K. Durlacher, R. Sancho, B. Ludwig, P. Kugelmeier, C. Heller, N. Kunicher, S.R. Bornstein, A.J. Treves. Horm Metab Res. 2019;51:805-811. 

New Horizons: Novel Adrenal Regenerative Therapies. S.R. Bornstein, M. Malyukov, C. Heller, C.G. Ziegler, G. Ruiz-Babot, A. Schedl, B. Ludwig, C. Steenblock. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2020;105:dgaa438.