Manipulation of a quasi-natural cell block for high-efficiency transplantation of adherent somatic cells

Abstract

Recent advances have raised hope that transplantation of adherent somatic cells could provide dramatic new therapies forvarious diseases. However, current methods for transplanting adherent somatic cells are not efficient enough for therapeuticapplications. Here, we report the development of a novel method to generate quasi-natural cell blocks for high-efficiencytransplantation of adherent somatic cells. The blocks were created by providing a unique environment in which cultured cellsgenerated their own extracellular matrix. Initially, stromal cells isolated from mice were expanded in vitro in liquid cell culturemedium followed by transferring the cells into a hydrogel shell. After incubation for 1 day with mechanical agitation, theencapsulated cell mass was perforated with a thin needle and then incubated for an additional 6 days to form a quasi-naturalcell block. Allograft transplantation of the cell block into C57BL/6 mice resulted in perfect adaptation of the allograft andcomplete integration into the tissue of the recipient. This method could be widely applied for repairing damaged cells or tissues,stem cell transplantation, ex vivo gene therapy, or plastic surgery.