Functional regulation of hepatocytes by cellulose and chitin nanofibers

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K14890
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 40020:Wood science-related
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: Hatakeyama Mayumi 九州大学, 農学研究院, 助教 (20871437)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: セルロース / キチン / 細胞培養基材

Outline of Final Research Achievements

I aimed to develop a substrate for culturing hepatocytes that retain liver function for use in hepatotoxicity evaluation in drug development. I used cellulose nanofibers derived from wood and chitin nanofibers from crab shell to explore suitable substrates for both hepatocytes and cells that support liver function (hepatic non-parenchymal cells). As a result, we succeeded in finding a substrate that improves albumin production, which is an indicator of liver function, and a substrate that is expected to improve growth factor production in hepatic non-parenchymal cells when hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HepG2) were cultured as a model for hepatocytes.

Free Research Field

木質科学・生体分子化学・生体医工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究により、セルロースナノファイバーへ導入する官能基量や官能基の種類、繊維長によって肝細胞の凝集塊のサイズ制御や細胞接着性を制御できることがわかり、基材の物性と細胞培養挙動の関係を詳細に検討することで、多糖基材への細胞接着・非接着のメカニズム解明が期待される。また、多糖基材で培養した肝細胞のアルブミン産生能が向上していたことから、肝毒性評価の新たなプラットフォーム構築へとつながり、創薬支援基盤となることが期待される。