Development of perfusion culture technology for the introduction of perfusable functional vascular networks into three-dimensional tissues made up of cells

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K20415
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0301:Mechanics of materials, production engineering, design engineering, fluid engineering, thermal engineering, mechanical dynamics, robotics, aerospace engineering, marine and maritime engineering, and related fields
• Research Institution: Waseda University
• Principal Investigator: TOBE Yusuke 早稲田大学, 理工学術院, 助教 (00907082)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-08-30 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: バイオリアクター / 血管床 / 組織工学 / 血管新生 / 細胞シート / 3次元組織 / 毛細血管網

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Currently, the development of various tissue engineering techniques has led to the application of tissues produced in vitro in the medical and drug discovery fields. However, there is a limitation in the survivable tissue thickness because it depends on the diffusion of the culture medium. Therefore, we developed a technology to introduce a network of blood vessels and to supply culture medium through the vessels at the same time in vitro for the creation of thicker and more functional three-dimensional tissues. As a result, we found an in vitro perfusion culture system that enables the introduction of a high-density, widely perfused vascular network in three-dimensional tissue with high reproducibility.

Free Research Field

知能機械、組織工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

生体外における血管新生研究モデルはハイドロゲル内を対象としたものが大半である。一方、本研究で開発した生体外灌流培養システムは、高い細胞密度の組織に対して再現性高く灌流可能な血管網を導入可能である。従って、従来のモデルでは解析し得ない高細胞密度組織内における血管新生条件の解明に寄与する、新たな血管新生モデルとしての利用が可能である。また、灌流可能な血管網を備えた機能的な立体組織を作製可能とする技術であるため、これまでにない再生医療組織や創薬試験モデルへの応用が期待され、社会的意義は大きい。