Control of the differentiation of three-dimensional cultured skins by light illumination and investigation of the changes of their spectral characteristics during cultivation

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K20684
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 90110:Biomedical engineering-related
• Research Institution: National Defense Medical College
• Principal Investigator: Tsunoi Yasuyuki 防衛医科大学校(医学教育部医学科進学課程及び専門課程、動物実験施設、共同利用研究施設、病院並びに防衛, 防衛医学研究センター 生体情報・治療システム研究部門, 助教 (30806451)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 三次元培養皮膚 / 皮膚移植 / 再生医療 / 表皮 / 細胞分化 / 光生体調節作用 / photobiomodulation / 拡散反射分光

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Three-dimensional (3D) cultured skin containing vascular networks has a high tolerance to infection after grafting due to early adhesion. However, it takes long time to induce differentiation of epidermal keratinocytes for forming a stratum corneum, which is responsible for skin barrier functions. In this study, we demonstrated that photobiomodulation can promote differentiation of the epidermal keratinocytes and hence improve barrier functions of the 3D cultured skins. We also demonstrated that diffuse reflectance spectroscopy is useful to evaluate the state of epidermal differentiation of the 3D skins nondestructively in situ.

Free Research Field

医用光学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

現在、本邦の移植皮膚の貯蔵量は、慢性的なドナー不足により極めて限定的である。また既存の人工皮膚や培養皮膚には感染を生じやすい欠点がある。我々が提案する血管構造を持つ三次元培養皮膚は、感染に対する高い耐性が期待される皮膚モデルである。今後、本研究成果を製造に活かすことにより、迅速かつ安定した皮膚の供給が可能になり、上記ドナー不足の解消に役立つことが期待される。