Live immobilised cells as new therapeutics

Clinical trials have increasingly provided adequate data for the use of live cells in medicinal practice especially in diarrhea, inflammatory bowel disease including Crohn’s disease, reduction of serum cholesterol, prevention of allergies, cancer, and numerous other diseases. Oral delivery of live cells has met with limited success; chiefly due to viability losses on passage through the gastrointestinal tract. Conflicting reports exist on the effectiveness of the protection afforded by traditional immobilization of live cells in gel matrices such as calcium alginate and kappa-carrageenan. An alternative approach, microencapsulation, builds on immobilization technologies by combining enhanced mechanical stability of the capsule membrane with improved mass transport, increased cell loading and greater control of parameters. This review abridges recent developments in the therapeutic use of live cells, addresses the promises and challenges of current immobilization technologies and provides insights into the concept of artificial cells for the effective delivery of therapeutic live cells.