Challenge for development of placenta-on-a-chip

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K12500
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Biomedical engineering/Biomaterial science and engineering
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: Funamoto Kenichi 東北大学, 学際科学フロンティア研究所, 准教授 (70451630)
• Research Collaborator: YOSHINO Daisuke 東北大学, 学際科学フロンティア研究所, 助教 ; ITO Takuya 自治医科大学, 先端医療技術開発センター, 講師 ; SUGIBAYASHI Rika 国立成育医療研究センター, 周産期・母性診療センター, 医員 ; FUNAMOTO Kiyoe 東北大学, 大学院医学系研究科, 技術補佐員
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: マイクロ・ナノデバイス / 細胞・組織 / 生物・生体工学 / 流体工学 / ナノバイオ / マイクロ流体デバイス / 胎盤 / 低酸素

Outline of Final Research Achievements

A placenta-on-a-chip was developed in this study in order to reproduce the structure and function of the microenvironment of a human placenta. Media channels, which model intervillous space and fetal blood vessel, were placed flanking the three parallel gel channels which mimic the extracellular matrix. Gas channels through which gas mixtures are supplied to control the oxygen tension inside the chip were placed above the media channels. A method to form monolayers of human choriocarcinoma cells (JEG3s) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in the media channels, and a method to measure the permeability of the monolayers were established. The co-culture of JEG3s and HUVECs under a controlled oxygen tension at different concentrations showed variations of cell morphology and cell junctions, implying that oxygen tension can influence the cell-cell interaction.

Free Research Field

生体工学、流体工学