A Pro-Angiogenic Immunoprotective Membrane for Cell Therapies.

Immunoisolation strategies that rely on porous membranes play an important role in cell transplantation therapies to protect cells from the host's immune system. These membranes must possess immunoprotective properties while facilitating the transport of nutrients and cell products to maintain the functional integrity of encapsulated cells. An easy and scalable process is described to fabricate a dual function porous polymeric membrane that shields cells against immune cell attack and promotes vascularization to address the nutritional and oxygen requirements of transplanted cells.