Department of Chemistry Education, Korea National University of Education, Chungbuk 363-791, Korea.
Small. 2013 Jan 28;9(2):178-86. doi: 10.1002/smll.201202174. Epub 2012 Nov 2.
Cells are encapsulated individually within thin and tough shells in a cytocompatible way, by mimicking the structure of bacterial endospores that survive under hostile conditions. The 3D 'cell-in-shell' structures-coined as 'artificial spores'-enable modulation and control over cellular metabolism, such as control of cell division, resistance to external stresses, and surface-functionalizability, providing a useful platform for applications, including cell-based sensors, cell therapy, regenerative medicine, as well as for fundamental studies on cellular metabolism at the single-cell level and cell-to-cell communications. This Concept focuses on chemical approaches to single-cell encapsulation with artificial shells for creating artificial spores, including cross-linked layer-by-layer assembly, bioinspired mineralization, and mussel-inspired polymerization. The current status and future prospects of this emerging field are also discussed.
细胞以细胞兼容的方式被单独封装在薄而坚韧的壳内，这模仿了在恶劣条件下生存的细菌芽孢的结构。这种 3D 的“细胞-壳”结构被称为“人工孢子”，能够调节和控制细胞代谢，例如控制细胞分裂、抵抗外部压力和表面功能化，为包括基于细胞的传感器、细胞治疗、再生医学在内的应用提供了有用的平台，以及用于在单细胞水平和细胞间通讯上对细胞代谢进行基础研究。本综述重点介绍了用于构建人工孢子的单细胞包封的化学方法，包括交联层层组装、仿生矿化和贻贝启发聚合。还讨论了这个新兴领域的现状和未来前景。
