A new article in sight, we investigate the effects of cryopreservation on alginate-poly-L-lysine-alginate (APA) microcapsules loaded with cardiosphere-derived cells (CDCs) designed for myocardial infarction treatment. We assess for the first time the effects of cryopreservation on stiffness and topographical features of microcapsules for cell therapy, along with the functionality of CDCs. Our results show that cryopreservation seems to better guarantee the stability of both CDCs and APA microcapsules properties during longer storage than 15 days, compared to microcapsules culture at 37ºC. These results point out cryopreservation as a suitable technique for long-term storage of encapsulated cells to be translated from the bench to the clinic.
