Encapsulation in the Endocrine System Publisher



Patel PN¹ ; Fathbayati L² ; Sefat F^{1, 3} ; Parvizpour F^{4, 5} ; Emami A⁴ ; Navaeinigjeha M^{6, 7} ; Mirzababaei S⁶ ; Arabpour Z⁴ Show Affiliations
Source: Principles of Biomaterials Encapsulation: Volume 2 Published:2023

Abstract

The endocrine system, as a complex network of glands and organs, controls and coordinates many essential functions of the body, such as metabolism, growth, and development, through the secretion of hormones. Endocrine system dysfunction is the cause of many diseases, such as diabetes, due to the dysfunction of the pancreas. Today, regenerative medicine and tissue engineering, as promising approaches, offer new techniques to treat endocrine disorders. Cell encapsulation is one of these methods, in which transplanted cells are protected from the host immune system. In this method, cells and transplant factors are surrounded by a semipermeable synthetic membrane that creates a barrier between the cells and the components of the immune system. This could reduce the chance of immune response and eventual rejection of the graft. This chapter briefly describes recent advances in cell encapsulation for the treatment of endocrine disorders, the different techniques and materials of cellular encapsulation, and the production of different types of capsules. We mention the use of various cell encapsulation techniques to prevent hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia and its function in the pancreas. We also briefly describe the different types of this technique used to transplant encapsulated islets, which are now used to replace ovarian function. © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.