Encapsulation and survival of a chondrocyte cell line within xanthan gum derivative

A chemical derivative of xanthan gum polysaccharide is investigated as a new artificial matrix for the encapsulation of chondrocytic cells. Toward this goal, a novel micro-droplet generator is developed to produce microcapsules. Microcapsules with an average diameter of 500 mm, smooth surface, and homogeneous size distribution are obtained. ATDC5 cells encapsulated in carboxymethyl xanthan (CMX) microcapsules remain viable and are observed to proliferate for prolonged culture periods with enhanced metabolic activity. Furthermore, retention of the chondrogenic phenotype is exhibited by the cells within CMX, suggesting the ability of this material to be applied in cell-delivery therapies.

This work was supported through the European Union funded project "Find and Bind" (NMP4-SL-2009-229292) under FP7. A. C. M. thanks the Portuguese Foundation for Science Technology for a PhD grant (SFRH/BD/42161/2007). We thank Prof. Manuel Coimbra and Dr. Claudia Nunes from Aveiro University for their assistance with xanthan molecular weight determination.