Improvement of the insulin secretion from beta cells encapsulated in alginate/poly-L-histidine/alginate microbeads by platelet-rich plasma

Type 1 diabetes is clinically characterized as the loss of control of glucose homeostasis due to the reduced number of insulin-producing cells. Long-term glycemic control after implantation could he maintained by preserving the cell viability and tissue-specific functions during the process of microencapsulation. In this study, alginate solution was supplemented with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) to improve the viability and preserve the cell functions during the encapsulation of a beta cell line (BRIN-BD11). Cell viability was assessed and insulin secretion and insulin stimulation index were evaluated. The polymerization of alginate with PRP enhanced the viability up to 61% in the alginate microbeads. PRP supplementation to the alginate composition not only increased the number of viable cells by 1.95-fold, but the insulin secretion also improved by about 66%. The stimulation index, however, was not affected by the PRP supplementation.