Unveiling the Potential of Single-Cell Encapsulation in Biomedical Applications: Current Advances and Future Perspectives

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

The encapsulation of single cells has emerged as a promising field in recent years, owing to its potential applications in cell-based therapeutics, bioprinting, in vitro cell culture, high-throughput screening, and diagnostics. Single-cell units offer several advantages, including compatibility with standard imaging techniques, superior diffusion rates, and lower material-to-cell volume ratios. They also serve as effective carriers for targeted drug delivery, allowing precise administration of therapeutics in cell-mediated quantities. Moreover, single-cell units exhibit improved circulation potential throughout the vasculature, with a reduced likelihood of entrapment compared to multicell strategies. However, the production of single-cell units from random dispersion of cells follows the Poisson distribution, requiring the separation of empty and multicell units from single-cell ones. Various methods have been developed to address this challenge; nevertheless, the majority of these strategies are either expensive or time-consuming. This review provides an in-depth analysis of the advantages and limitations of single-cell units and their applications, as well as a comprehensive overview of the most used techniques for single-cell encapsulation and sorting strategies.

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

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