Encapsulated neonatal porcine islets (DIABECELL®) (Living Cell Technologies (LCT))

Neonatal porcine islets are isolated using collagenase digestion and cultured for 3 days in RPMI-1640 medium, supplemented with HSA (2%), nicotinamide (0.12%), and ciproxine (1.5 mg/l), at room temperature and centrifuged at 1000 r.p.m. for 20 min. A mixture of cells with isotonic-purified alginate mixture (1.7% (w/v); mannuronic:guluronic ratio 60:40) is extruded through a coaxial air-knife droplet generator into a calcium chloride gelation bath and subsequently coated with Poly-L-Ornithine and a final outer coating of alginate.