Lifetime use of immunosupressive drugs is the usual result of non autologous transplantation, unless the immune system can be otherwise tricked into accepting the new cells. But barring such tricks, simple cellular transplantation is fraught with the same problems as organ transplantation. Alternative methods To avoid the problems of simple transplantation, there are currently two main viable approaches. The first is the use of embryonic or cord blood stem cells for transplants. Such cells can adapt to a variety of mature tissues after transplant and have the added value of generally being accepted by the host immune system without rejection or the use of drugs.
Encapsulation can open the door to the immune-protected use of cells from various species.
It could also increase the possibility of using several genetic and cellular engineering techniques, including the creation of artificial organs. Encapsulated cells are protected by a membrane or capsular matrix that allows nutrients, waste, and therapeutic products to pass freely but serves as a barrier to the host immune system. The use of encapsulated cells is a fairly simple concept. Such encapsulation can be achieved using polymers. As can be expected, research into various capsular materials is almost as important as studying the requirements and kinds of cells that can be appropriately transplanted.