Study on the Viability and Proliferation of Single Mesenchymal Stem Cell Encapsulated in Alginate and Alginate-PLL Using Microfluidic Approach

Stem cells are characterized by their capacity for self-renewal and their ability to differentiate into specific cell types under the influence of their microenvironment. It is known that matrix chemistry controls stem cell differentiation. Single cell encapsulations of the Mesenchymal stem cells into a semi-permeable microgel, allows a greater control of the stem cell fate. In this study, a chip for single-cell encapsulation was designed and fabricated using microfluidic technology. By using microfluidic chip, human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) are encapsulated inside alginate and alginate-poly-l lysine (PLL) microgels. The results of long-term viability of MSCs inside alginate-PLL microgels, shows a significant increase compared to alginate microgels. Mesenchymal stem cell proliferation in alginate-PLL microgels also increased significantly on days 14 and 21. It seems that PLL improves cell adhesion and function by creating a positively charged matrix. Microscopic studies indicate that the morphology of the cells inside the microgels is spherical. However, the average diameter and volume of cells in microgels containing PLL are smaller than others, which indicates more proliferation and space limitation inside the microgels. Therefore, single cell alginate-PLL microgels provide a suitable substrate in clinical studies for tissue engineering, organ transplantation and cell therapy.