Molecular shielding of porcine islets by tissue-adhesive chitosan-catechol for enhancement of in-vitro stability

Abstract

Porcine islets are an alternative cell source for cell replacement therapy in diabetes. However, porcine islets are very fragile, and isolated islets are easily damaged during culture. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to incorporate a tissue-adhesive chitosan derivative on the surface of porcine islets to prevent the dissociation of porcine islet clusters into single cells. Chitosan-catechol was evenly covered on the surface of islets without any toxicity. In addition, the tissue-adhesive chitosan catechol was effective in preventing cell dissociation. Therefore, tissue adhesive chitosan-catechol conjugation onto the porcine islet surface is a promising technique to stabilize islets after isolation. (c) 2017 The Korean Society of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.