Elucidation of high gravity-sensing mechanisms in cells and its application to control cellular phenotype and differentiation

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 22K19898
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 90:Biomedical engineering and related fields
• Research Institution: Tokyo Metropolitan University
• Principal Investigator: SAKAMOTO NAOYA 東京都立大学, システムデザイン研究科, 准教授 (20361115)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 藤江 裕道 東京都立大学, システムデザイン研究科, 教授 (20199300)
• Project Period (FY): 2022-06-30 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 生物・生体工学 / 細胞バイオメカニクス / 細胞骨格 / 細胞核 / 高重力

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we investigated phenotypic changes in smooth muscle cells induced by hypergravity as a mechanical stimulus and examined the role of cytoskeletal structure in the cellular sensing of the hypergravity environment. Our findings showed that centrifugal hypergravity stimulation induces a phenotypic shift of smooth muscle cells cultured in a three-dimensional collagen gel matrix from a synthetic phenotype to a physiological contractile state. We also observed that cytoskeletal tensions of smooth muscle cells were increased by the application of hypergravity. The results suggest that changes in cytoskeletal tension may play a role in how cells sense and respond to hypergravity.

Free Research Field

メカノバイオロジー

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

力学刺激による細胞の表現型変化・分化誘導は，生体生理機能や疾患発症メカニズムの理解のみならず，再生医工学技術開発などの応用の観点からも高い関心を集めている．高い重力環境も力学刺激として細胞に影響を及ぼす可能性が考えられるものの，その詳細は明らかになっていなかった．本研究成果は，遠心分離に伴う高重力環境が三次元培養した細胞に力学刺激として作用すること，また表現型変化を誘導できる可能性を示しており，重力感知に関する基礎的な知見のみならず，高重力を利用した技術開発へと寄与すると考えられる．