Assembly of Three-dimensional cell structure and functional control by mechanical stimulation

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K19911
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 90:Biomedical engineering and related fields
• Research Institution: Nagoya University
• Principal Investigator: Masuda Taisuke 名古屋大学, 未来社会創造機構, 特任准教授 (30431513)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-06-29 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: メカノバイオロジー / バイオプリンター / 刺激印加培養システム

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study proposes a three-dimensional assembly method of aligned fiber-structure such as a human skeletal muscle tissue. The innovative point is assembly method of fiber-structure consists of artificial modular micro-fibers. The magnetite particles are included inside of both ends of micro-fibers for “Assembly”, “Positioning” and “Fixation” of micro-fibers, while the capillary force is also used to bundle several fibers tightly. Several different kinds of fibers are fabricated and assembled to form the tissue like structure. In this study, the muscle fiber and sensor fiber, are used for demonstration of the proof of our concept. After the assembly, the micro-fibers were successfully fused to form a tissue like structure with highly arranged cells

Free Research Field

生体医工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

外部からの物理的刺激（メカニカルストレス）は細胞レベルでは分化方向や代謝を変化させ，組織レベルでは機能維持に影響を与えることが知られている．本研究は，生体外で構築した三次元組織構造体に対して，伸展・収縮，せん断刺激などを与えたときの挙動を評価することにより，対象三次元組織体の病態や生理学的意義づけを見出すものである．その一歩として，従来の細胞任せ（自己配列）の線維構造体の構築法ではなく，予め形成した複数本のマイクロファイバーを集束しすることによる生体内の線維構造体を再現する構築法を見出した．