Eliminating oxygen supply limitations for transplanted microencapsulated islets in the treatment of type 1 diabetes

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Chemical Engineering, 2008.

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Lewis, Amy Suzanne
Other Authors: Clark K. Colton.
Format: Thesis
Language:eng
Published: Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2008
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/42941
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author Lewis, Amy Suzanne
author2 Clark K. Colton.
author_facet Clark K. Colton.
Lewis, Amy Suzanne
author_sort Lewis, Amy Suzanne
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description Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Chemical Engineering, 2008.
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spelling mit-1721.1/429412019-04-11T01:19:31Z Eliminating oxygen supply limitations for transplanted microencapsulated islets in the treatment of type 1 diabetes Lewis, Amy Suzanne Clark K. Colton. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Chemical Engineering. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Chemical Engineering. Chemical Engineering. Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Chemical Engineering, 2008. This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections. Includes bibliographical references (p. 227-234). Type I diabetes is a disease that results from a person's impaired ability to produce insulin, a protein that regulates the blood glucose concentration. Insulin is produced by [beta]-cells in the Islets of Langerhans, which are aggregates of cells averaging about 150 [mu]m in diameter and constituting about 1 to 2% of the pancreas volume. The efficacy of islet transplantation as a treatment for diabetes has been demonstrated in humans by the Edmonton Protocol, but obstacles remain for wide scale application. One major issue is that successful islet transplantation requires permanent use of multiple immunosuppressive agents. These agents may have serious side effects as well as a substantial financial burden. Microencapsulation is used for full or partial protection of transplanted islets from immune rejection. However, the microcapsule prevents islet revascularization and creates an additional mass transfer resistance for oxygen transport to islets. This reduced oxygen transfer can lead to a hypoxic core within the islet that results in tissue death and reduced function. We have studied two approaches to enhance microencapsulated islet survival and function by reducing oxygen transport limitations. The first method involves incorporating a perfluorocarbon emulsion into alginate microcapsules to enhance oxygen permeability in order to protect islets from hypoxia. The second method involves dispersing the islets into single cells and allowing them to reaggregate into cell clusters smaller than the original islet. The smaller aggregates are less prone to the development of a necrotic core and can function normally because of adequate oxygen supply and the presence of cell to cell contacts. (cont.) A theoretical reaction-diffusion model was developed to predict the oxygen partial pressure profile, extent of cell death, and rate of insulin secretion in alginate microcapsules or planar diffusion chambers containing an islet, islet cell aggregates, and dispersed single cells exposed to specified external PO2 values, with or without PFC. Results show that hypoxic conditions are reduced, therefore enhancing islet viability and substantially maintaining insulin secretion when PFC emulsion is incorporated in the encapsulation material or when smaller islet cell aggregates are used. Methods were developed to assess encapsulated tissue through nuclei counting, DNA quantification, and oxygen consumption rate measurements. Experiments with islets and islet cell aggregates were performed to assess whether the benefits predicted by the theoretical model can be observed experimentally. After two days of culture in a limited oxygen environment comparisons were made between islets and islet cell aggregates within normal alginate and islets within PFC alginate microcapsules in their viability by measurement of oxygen consumption rate, function by measuring glucose stimulated insulin secretion (only tissue in normal alginate capsules), and total tissue content by measuring DNA or performing nuclei counts. The PFC emulsion formulation that was used was toxic to islets and we were not conclusively able to demonstrate that it enhances survival in low oxygen. Islet cell aggregates survive and function better in low oxygen environments during in vitro experiments than intact islets. Encapsulated rat islet cell aggregates are also found to more effectively cure diabetes in mice than encapsulated islets. by Amy Suzanne Lewis. Ph.D. 2008-11-07T14:12:22Z 2008-11-07T14:12:22Z 2008 2008 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/42941 256949391 eng M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission. http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582 234 p. application/pdf Massachusetts Institute of Technology
spellingShingle Chemical Engineering.
Lewis, Amy Suzanne
Eliminating oxygen supply limitations for transplanted microencapsulated islets in the treatment of type 1 diabetes
title Eliminating oxygen supply limitations for transplanted microencapsulated islets in the treatment of type 1 diabetes
title_full Eliminating oxygen supply limitations for transplanted microencapsulated islets in the treatment of type 1 diabetes
title_fullStr Eliminating oxygen supply limitations for transplanted microencapsulated islets in the treatment of type 1 diabetes
title_full_unstemmed Eliminating oxygen supply limitations for transplanted microencapsulated islets in the treatment of type 1 diabetes
title_short Eliminating oxygen supply limitations for transplanted microencapsulated islets in the treatment of type 1 diabetes
title_sort eliminating oxygen supply limitations for transplanted microencapsulated islets in the treatment of type 1 diabetes
topic Chemical Engineering.
url http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/42941
work_keys_str_mv AT lewisamysuzanne eliminatingoxygensupplylimitationsfortransplantedmicroencapsulatedisletsinthetreatmentoftype1diabetes