Propagation of human iPS cells in alginate-based microcapsules prepared using reactions catalyzed by horseradish peroxidase and catalase

Cell encapsulation has been investigated as a bioproduction system in the biomedical and pharmaceutical fields. We encapsulated human induced pluripotent stem (hiPS) cells in duplex microcapsules prepared from an alginate derivative possessing phenolic hydroxyl moieties, in a single-step procedure based on two competing enzymatic reactions catalyzed by horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and catalase. The encapsulated cells maintained 91.4% viability and proliferated to fill the microcapsules following 19 days of culture. Encapsulated hiPS cells showed pluripotency comparable to that of unencapsulated cells during the cultures, as demonstrated by the expression of the SSEA-4 marker.