Development of platform technologies for automated three-dimensional aggregation of cell monolayers for constructing organ chips.

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K12088
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 90120:Biomaterials-related
• Research Institution: Okayama University of Science
• Principal Investigator: Iwai Ryosuke 岡山理科大学, フロンティア理工学研究所, 講師 (60611481)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 神吉 けい太 岡山理科大学, 工学部, 准教授 (10516876) ; 船山 麻理菜 大阪公立大学, 生命環境科学研究科, 客員研究員 (30713599) ; 森脇 健司 弘前大学, 理工学研究科, 准教授 (50707213)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 臓器チップ / 細胞自己凝集化 / 培養皿加工 / 薬剤応答

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we succeeded in automatically forming three-dimensional (3-D) tissue constructs mimicking living tissue structures such as capillaries, skeletal muscle-like fibers, and tracheal cartilage-like rings fixed at specific positions in arbitrarily shaped culture dishes by inducing the self-aggregation of cell monolayers using our cell monolayer self-aggregation induction technology (CAT). In the same manner, we have also succeeded in preparing a unique structure in which cell monolayers and 3-D tissues are seamlessly connected by designing CAT induction area. Then, we demonstrated the responsiveness similar to that of living tissues by adding drugs to such tissue constructs.

Free Research Field

組織工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

全身の薬物動態である吸収、分布、代謝と排泄を評価できる培養系、即ち人体の臓器を培養皿に再現した「生体/臓器チップ」が実現すれば、莫大な試験費用と倫理的な問題を抱える動物実験に代わる次世代の創薬試験系となり得ると期待されている。本研究では、臓器チップのための培養区画内（チャンバー）に機能的な3次元組織体を細胞を播くだけで簡易かつ再現性良く作製することができた。臓器チップを用いた次世代創薬試験系の基盤技術と成り得ると考えている。