Serra, Margarida Correia, Cláudia Malpique, Rita Brito, Catarina Jensen, Janne Bjorquist, Petter J. T. Carrondo, Manuel M. Alves, Paula Effect of alginate microencapsulation on the expansion of hESC as aggregates. <p>hESC aggregates were encapsulated at day 2 and cultured in spinner vessels. (<b>A</b>) Phase contrast and fluorescence images of encapsulated and non-encapsulated cultures at days 3, 7 and 9. Viability of hESC aggregates assessed by staining with fluoresceine diacetate (FDA-live cells, green) and propidium iodide (PI- dead cells, red). Scale bar: 100 µm. (<b>B–C</b>) Cell growth performance of both encapsulated (purple) and non-encapsulated (grey) cultures. (<b>B</b>) Metabolic activity measured by alamarBlue test on the day after microencapsulation (day 3) and at day 15. Error bars denote SD of 3 measurements. ** indicates significant difference (P<0.05) in metabolic activity by one-way ANOVA analysis. (<b>C</b>) Cumulative values of specific rates of LDH release overtime. Error bars denote SD of 3 measurements. (<b>D</b>) Aggregate size of encapsulated cultures at days 2, 4, 7 and 15 of culture. Error bars denote SD of 10 measurements. (<b>E–I</b>) Characterization of encapsulated hESC aggregates expanded in spinner vessels. (<b>E</b>) Percentage of SSEA-4, TRA-1-60 and SSEA-1 positive cells at days 7 (purple bars), 14 (pink stripes bars) and 21 (grey stripes bars). Error bars represent SD of 2 measurements. (<b>F</b>) Flow cytometry analysis of SSEA-4 and TRA-1-60 positive cells at day 7 of culture. (<b>G</b>) Confocal images of aggregates labeled for Oct-4 and TRA-1-60 at day 16 of 3D culture. Scale bar: 50 µm. (<b>F–G</b>) Flow cytometry analysis of the expanded population (<b>H</b>) Immunofluorescence images of Oct-4 and TRA-1-60 labeling and phase contrast pictures of alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity, staining after expansion (2D culture). Nuclei were labeled with DAPI (blue). Scale bars: immunofluorescence images - 200 µm, AP image −1 mm. (<b>I</b>) <i>In vitro</i> pluripotency analysis. Microcapsules were dissolved and hESCs were transferred to a monolayer of inactivated hFF. At confluence, colonies were dissociated and hESCs were able to form embryoid bodies (EBs) in non-adherent conditions and differentiated into cells from all three germ layers. Fluorescence images of differentiated cultures labeled for α–SMA (α smooth muscle actin, mesoderm), FOX-A2 (Forkheadbox A2, endoderm) and βIII-Tub (β tubulin type III, ectoderm). Nuclei were stained with DAPI (blue). Scale bar: 100 µm.</p> alginate;microencapsulation;hesc 2011-08-05
    https://plos.figshare.com/articles/figure/_Effect_of_alginate_microencapsulation_on_the_expansion_of_hESC_as_aggregates_/419124
10.1371/journal.pone.0023212.g002