Nano to the meso scale: influence on cell transplantation.

The success of organ transplantation is one of medicine's finest accomplishments. Ironically, this same success has led to a dilemma in that there are simply too few donor organs available to treat the millions of patients that would benefit from their procurement and transplantation. The answer(s) to this shortage will likely come from transplanting specific cells, i.

Combining cell therapy and nanotechnology.

Cell transplantation to treat diseases characterised by tissue and cell dysfunction, ranging from diabetes to spinal cord injury, has made great strides preclinically and towards clinical efficacy. In order to enhance clinical outcomes, research needs to continue in areas including the development of a universal cell source that can be differentiated into specific cellular phenotypes, methods to protect the transplanted allogeneic or xenogeneic cells from rejection by the host immune system, techniques to enhance cellular integration of the transplant within the host tissue, strategies for in vivo detection and monitoring of the cellular implants, and new techniques to deliver genes to cells without eliciting a host immune response. Overcoming these obstacles will be of considerable benefit, as it allows understanding, visualising and controlling cellular interactions at a submicron level.