Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 22, 2026

08:38
Intravital Microscopy of Monocyte Homing and Tumor-Related Angiogenesis in a Murine Model of Peripheral Arterial Disease
Published on: August 26, 2017
Encapsulation of angiogenic monocytes using bio-spraying technology.
Ashish S Patel1, Alberto Smith, Rizwan Q Attia
1King's College London, BHF Centre of Research Excellence & NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at King's Health Partners, Academic Department of Surgery, St Thomas' Hospital, London SE1 7EH, United Kingdom.
Summary
Bio-spraying encapsulation of angiogenic cells improves retention in target tissues. This novel technique preserves cell viability and function, enhancing therapeutic neovascularisation potential for ischemic conditions.
Area of Science:
- Regenerative Medicine
- Biotechnology
- Vascular Biology
Background:
- Therapeutic neovascularization aims to restore blood flow to ischemic tissues using angiogenic cells.
- A major challenge is the loss of these therapeutic cells from the target site, limiting treatment efficacy.
- Cell encapsulation within semi-permeable membranes is a potential strategy to improve cell retention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of bio-spraying for encapsulating human peripheral blood monocytes for angiogenic cell therapy.
- To assess the impact of bio-spraying on monocyte viability, phenotype, and angiogenic signaling.
- To investigate the potential of enhanced monocyte encapsulation with macrophage-colony stimulating factor (M-CSF) for improved angiogenic function.
Main Methods:
- Human peripheral blood monocytes were encapsulated using the novel bio-spraying technique.
- Cell viability, phenotype, and downstream angiogenic signaling were analyzed post-encapsulation.
- Monocytes were co-encapsulated with M-CSF to assess its effect on growth factor production and angiogenic capacity.
Main Results:
- Bio-spraying successfully encapsulated monocytes without compromising cell viability, phenotype, or functional angiogenic signaling.
- Encapsulation of monocytes with M-CSF significantly increased vascular-endothelial growth factor (VEGF) production.
- This M-CSF enhanced encapsulation led to improved angiogenic function.
Conclusions:
- Bio-spraying is a viable technique for encapsulating angiogenic cells, preserving their critical biological properties.
- Encapsulation enhances cell retention, a key factor for improving therapeutic neovascularization.
- This approach holds promise for advancing angiogenic cell therapy strategies for ischemic diseases.

