Creation of functional heart tissues with perfusable vasculature using in vivo prevascularization techniques

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19H04453
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 90110:Biomedical engineering-related
• Research Institution: Tokyo Women's Medical University
• Principal Investigator: Sekine Hidekazu 東京女子医科大学, 医学部, 准教授 (60541737)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 本間 順 東京女子医科大学, 医学部, 助教 (50507366)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 組織工学 / 心筋再生 / 血管新生 / 血管床 / 循環補助 / 細胞シート / 心不全 / 再生医療

Outline of Final Research Achievements

A major challenge in myocardial tissue engineering is that inadequate oxygen and nutrients supply to engineered 3D myocardial tissue limits the thickness of the fabricated tissue to about 100-200μm. Therefore, techniques to control the growth and formation of blood vessels are needed to fabricate thicker and more functional myocardial tissue. To address this issue, we have developed a method of inserting a vascular network by in vivo pre-vascularization, in which capillaries are reconstructed in vivo. By using it to create multiple layers of cell sheets, a cuff-shaped three-dimensional cardiac tissue with a thickness of 1 mm that can assist blood circulation was then realized.

Free Research Field

再生医工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の技術をさらに発展させることで、重症心不全患者のための細胞から作製する循環補助システムの構築が可能となる。これを臨床応用できた場合には、疾患の根治または大幅改善が期待できる。