3D microcapsules for human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell biomanufacturing in a vertical-wheel bioreactor

Microencapsulation of human mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) via electrospraying has been well documented in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Herein, we report the use of microencapsulation via electrospraying, for MSC expansion using a commercially available hydrogel that is durable, optimized to MSC culture, and enzymatically degradable for cell recovery. Critical parameters of the electrospraying encapsulation process such as seeding density, correlation of microcapsule output with hydrogel volume, and applied voltage were characterized to consistently fabricate cell-laden microcapsules of uniform size. Upon encapsulation, we quantified 10× expansion of encapsulated MSCs within a vertical-wheel bioreactor, and verified the preservation of critical quality attributes including immunophenotype and multipotency after expansion and cell recovery. Finally, we highlight the genetic manipulation of encapsulated MSCs as an example of incorporating bioactive agents in the microcapsule to create new compositions of MSCs with altered phenotypes.