Fig. 1.

Strategies for islet and insulin-producing cell encapsulation. Encapsulation strategies can be divided into two main approaches: macroencapsulation or micro- nanoencapsulation. A number of research areas are currently being investigated with the aim to develop immunosuppressant-free therapies for islet transplantation with biocompatible biomaterials and improve the overall long-term transplant function and viability. (1) Transplants can be immune-isolated and allowing proximal vascularization within; (2) transplants can be optimized based on the biomaterials used or by tuning its surface properties; (3) Integration of oxygen-releasing materials surrounding the islets can provide gradual oxygenation to reduce the hypoxic conditions; (4) biofunctionalization is of interest to improve the transplanted cells by biological interactions; (5) ECM and GF can stimulate specific cellular pathways resulting in an increase of cellular function and or survival.