Engineering of a matured muscle tissue construct by electrical stimulation-induced exercise and co-culturing iPS cell-derived neurons

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16H05909
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Biomedical engineering/Biomaterial science and engineering
• Research Institution: Tokyo Women's Medical University
• Principal Investigator: Takahashi Hironobu 東京女子医科大学, 医学部, 講師 (00710039)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 組織工学 / 再生医療 / メカノバイオロジー / 筋組織 / 神経組織

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Skeletal muscle physiology and the mechanisms of muscle diseases can be effectively studied by an in-vitro tissue model produced by tissue engineering. In this study, a human skeletal muscle tissue was produced by our newly developed method. To mimic native muscles, we focused on mechanical stresses. This study demonstrated that periodic exercise induced by continuous electrical stimulation enhanced the contractile ability of the engineered tissue. On the other hand, muscle contraction is controlled by nerve system in the body. From this viewpoint, we also attempted to produce a neuron-muscle tissue construct. Human iPS cells-derived motor neurons were seeded onto the tissue construct, and then the resultant tissue showed potential that human neurons physiologically connected to the engineered muscles. This new tissue engineering method could lead to truly biomimetic muscle tissue generation, and development of in-vitro physiological tissue models.

Free Research Field

組織工学・再生医療

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の成果は骨格筋組織の成熟化を目指すことを通じて、筋の成長メカニズムを知り、それを制御することに繋げることができると期待される。この成果によって構築される組織は創薬研究における組織モデルとして有用である。生体に近い組織を構築できることは、その一部が欠損することで起こる様々な筋疾患に対する治療法の開発にも繋がる。本研究はその対象となる疾患を筋肉が原因の疾患のみならず、神経が関与する筋疾患にも拡大できることも示すことができた。さらに、老化に伴う筋萎縮のような問題は高齢者にとって幅広く関わりがあるため、筋萎縮を解決できる可能性を持つ本研究が高齢社会に与えるインパクトは特に大きいと考えている。