Emerging Medical Devices for Minimally Invasive Cell Therapy

The past decade has seen the first wave of cell-based therapeutics undergo clinical trials with varying degrees of success. Although attention is increasingly focused on clinical trial design, owing to spiraling regulatory costs, tools used in delivering cells and sustaining the cells' viability and functions in vivo warrant careful scrutiny. While the clinical administration of cell-based therapeutics often requires additional safeguarding and targeted delivery compared with traditional therapeutics, there is significant opportunity for minimally invasive device-assisted cell therapy to provide the physician with new regenerative options at the point of care. Herein we detail exciting recent advances in medical devices that will aid in the safe and efficacious delivery of cell-based therapeutics. (C) 2014 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research