Alginate encapsulation induce colony formation with umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells

Aim: The umbilical cord (UC) is a rich source of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) isolation. Since the MSCs isolated from here have high self-renewal capacity and differentiation potential, production through biofabrication is essential for clinical treatments. For the cells to be stored for a long time and presented ready for use, encapsulation is required. In this study, UC-MSC cells were encapsulated with alginate using three different methods: alginate drop, alginate coating, and alginate sphere. Methods: The cell viability, live/dead cell ratio, and colony formation capacities of the encapsulated cells were examined for 14 days. Results: In the study, it was found that the most effective method was the alginate sphere form and that the structure of the cells should be preserved by injecting them into biomaterials in encapsulation. Colony formation potential was found to be high in biomaterials with alginate spheres. Conclusion: As a result, the preservation of UC-MSC cells with alginate sphere encapsulation via biofabrication and their clinical use availability may be beneficial for treating of many diseases.