Delivery Strategies for Cell-based Therapeutics

Improvement in MSCs culture and expansion, delivery, homing and engraftment are needed in order to achieve optimal therapeutic outcomes in the clinic. Strategies to enhance safe and efficient stem cells as well as associated bioproducts delivery to target organs in vivo are currently being implemented. Stem cell delivery medium including natural and synthetic biomaterials, cell encapsulation devices, biologic and artificial scaffolds have received much attention lately. An ideal cell delivery vehicle must fulfill certain criteria, such as maintaining the vitality and function of embedded cells, being biologically compatible and biodegradable, and allowing controlled release of biomolecules from the cells towards the target tissue. In this chapter, the strategies adopted to deliver MSCs to or enhance their therapeutic activity at sites of injury in the liver, ocular surface and kidney are described. New and remodelled delivery systems are required to ensure the successful translation of cell therapies to the clinics.

Keywords: Bioartificial devices, Biocompatible delivery medium, Biodegradable materials, Biomaterials, Biopolymers, Cell delivery medium, Cell engraftment, Cell transplantation, Clinical translation, Cornea, Decellularised scaffolds, Encapsulation, Extracellular vesicles, Homing and engraftment, Host immune system, Kidney, Liver, Mesenchymal stromal/stem cells, Synthetic polymers, Tissue engineering.