Development of cardiovascular tissue engineering substrate that enables muscle contraction/relaxation response and application to small-diameter blood vessel for transplantation.

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K09266
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 55030:Cardiovascular surgery-related
• Research Institution: Mie University
• Principal Investigator: Miyamoto Keiichi 三重大学, 工学研究科, 教授 (70252343)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 晝河 政希 三重大学, 工学研究科, 助教 (40823456)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: エラスチン / コラーゲン / フィブリリン / 再生医療 / 人工血管 / 収縮弛緩 / リモデリング / 組織工学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We have developed a small-diameter (1-4 mm) artificial blood vessel that mimics and reproduces the structure and function of only biological substances. It was prepared by combining a stretchable fiber sheet made of extracellular matrix, a continuous pore elastic fiber gel, a collagen fiber sheet, and a dynamic stimulation culture of smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells. It was confirmed that the tissue-cultured small-diameter artificial blood vessels had vasoconstriction and relaxation responses as functional features by pulsatile dynamic culture and circulation culture. An artificial blood vessel was replaced and transplanted into the rat femoral artery. After that, observation was performed for 2 weeks, and the flow path was observed by micro X-ray CT, and it was found patency.

Free Research Field

生体材料化学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

足場材料を用いた組織工学的小口径人工血管には(1)平滑筋細胞とコラーゲンゲルを混ぜて管状構造を作成し、内腔面を内皮細胞で覆う方法、(2)生体血管と同様の機械的刺激を与えリモデリングを促進させる方法等が有望とされる。しかし足場材には、従来人工血管に用いられている合成高分子材料やコラーゲン足場を複合化させる等の数多くの方法が試みられてきたが実用性に乏しい。本研究は、こうした開発状況の中でも未だ試みられていない素材のエラスチンとフィブリリンを用いることで生体血管に類似した収縮・弛緩応答などの血圧調節機能を有した小口径の組織工学的人工血管としての開発に成功し、実用化に向けた展開が期待される。