Colloidal Cell Delivery Systems

As stem cell technologies advance towards clinical application there is an urgent need to enhance the methods of delivering these cells into the body. Current methods of simple injection of cell suspensions are crude because they waste cells, compromise viability and generate poor starting conditions for the regeneration of a tissue. In this collaborative project between the universities of Nottingham and Manchester we will establish an injectable material consisting of a colloid mixture of cells and particles that is injectable at room temperature and aggregates into a porous colloidal gel at body temperature. This material could form the basis for cell delivery in neurology, endocrinology, hepatology, orthopaedics and many other areas because the components are well understood and trusted materials with long track records of use in the body. A successful outcome for this project will prove the principle of cell delivery into skeletal muscle tissue using temperature-triggered assembly and establish the fundamental principles involved.