Polymer Encapsulation Of Cells For High Purity Cellular Separation

Isolation of pure cell populations from mixtures is critical for engineering approaches to artificial organs and cell based therapeutics. Current sorting techniques do not provide adequately high purity at the sorting rates required for wide spread adoption of cell-based therapies. Here, we describe a new approach towards cell sorting, where antibodies are used to direct the formation of a protective polyethylene glycol diacrylate polymer coating around targeted cells. Protected cells are largely viable in 5% sodium dodecyl sulfate or triton X-100, where unprotected cells are lysed. Profilometry, SEM and optical microscopy indicate the protective coatings are < 500 nm thick. The improvement in protected cell viability with increasing surfactant concentration suggests that diffusive transport across the coating is insufficient to describe the underlying phenomenon which protects the cells.