Grants and Contributions:

Grant or Award spanning more than one fiscal year. (2017-2018 to 2018-2019)

Type 1 diabetics require daily insulin injections for life. Transplanting insulin-secreting beta-type cells is ax000D
promising therapeutic strategy that requires an excellent supply of oxygen and nutrients to the transplantedx000D
cells, as well as effective immune protection of the transplanted cells, and prevention of cells escaping fromx000D
capsules.x000D
Sernova Corp has developed proprietary implantable Cell PouchTM device technologies that becomex000D
vascularized and can then be loaded with islets, beta cells or other therapeutic cells. Immunoprotection in thex000D
Cell PouchTM can be provided by encapsulating these cells in 300 micrometer calcium alginate beads, but thisx000D
approach is now known to lead to some cells protruding through the capsule surfaces, compromising the wholex000D
transplant. Outer calcium alginate shells have been added to coat protruding cells, but this doubles the finalx000D
bead diameter, unacceptably increasing dead volume and decreasing insulin secretion capacity. New strategiesx000D
for detecting cell protrusion, and for forming outer shells with lower dead volume, are hence needed.x000D
Dr. Stöver has expertise in design and evaluation of alginate-based capsules for cell therapies. In this project,x000D
his group will develop new 3D quantitative fluorescence assays for protruding cells, and explore the scope forx000D
double encapsulations with lower dead volume. This information will inform future capsule compositions andx000D
morphologies, in order to optimize cell protection and containment as well as cell function.