Microvessel system for the analysis of stem cell maintenance in tissue

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18H01793
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 27040:Biofunction and bioprocess engineering-related
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Matsunaga Yukiko (津田行子) 東京大学, 生産技術研究所, 准教授 (00533663)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 川辺 淳一 旭川医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (10400087) ; 長谷川 洋介 東京大学, 生産技術研究所, 准教授 (30396783)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 血管新生 / ペリサイト / 流体シミュレーション / 三次元モデル / マイクロデバイス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study is "construction of a microvascular system for elucidating the tissue stem cell maintenance mechanism". With the increase in lifestyle-related diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia, it is predicted that the frequency of arteriosclerosis obliterans and critical limb ischemia will increase in addition to myocardial infarction and stroke. For these reasons, there are high expectations for angiogenic therapy. In this study, we focused on pluripotent capillary stem cells (CapSC) and changed various physicochemical factors in an in vitro three-dimensional microvascular model. We constructed a bioprocess evaluation system at each stage regarding the role of CapSC in angiogenesis (promotion of angiogenesis or stabilization of blood vessels). The results are expected to elucidate the mechanism of tissue stem cell maintenance and to be applied to efficient angiogenic therapy by cell transplantation.

Free Research Field

生体医工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

In vitro三次元微小血管デバイスを用いることで、生体内ではブラックボックスであった各細胞、外的環境との相互作用を見える化することができる。ペリサイトとCapSCなど、細胞の種類を変えたときの血管新生過程を確認できるため、構成論的なアプローチで生体の現象を模擬できる手法は極めて斬新であり、適切かつ効率的な血管新生療法の提案に貢献できる。