FIGURE 3.

Evaluation of microcapsule internalization on cell morphology. Isolated human MSCs were incubated with FITC-labeled capsules at a ratio of 1:0 (control), 1:45, and 1:90 microcapsules per cell for 24 h at 37°C, then the cells were washed with PBS, collected, transferred to another plate, and further cultured for up to 48 h. At 6 and 48 h post-phagocytosis, cells were analyzed using the Cell-IQ v2MLF integrated platform for a continuous real-time phase-contrast imaging as described in the Methods. There is minimal change in cell morphology or death rate when capsules are used at a 1:45 ratio, relative to control, although significant microcapsule uptake is observed. However, at a ratio of 1:90, cell shrinkage is apparent. Scale bar is 140 microns.