Control system for autonomous cancer growth by adaptive mechanical stimulation

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 22K20417
• 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: Keio University (2023); Waseda University (2022)
• Principal Investigator: Morikura Takashi 慶應義塾大学, 理工学研究科(矢上), 特任助教 (50963865)
• Project Period (FY): 2022-08-31 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 三次元癌モデル / 並列実験可能な機械的刺激印加培養装置 / ラベルフリー細胞数計測技術 / データ駆動型PID制御器

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In recent years, “cancer mechanomedicine,” a therapy that attempts to control cancer cell populations by mechanical stimulation, has attracted attention as a new treatment for cancer, one of the three major diseases of the world. To realize cancer mechanomedicine, it is essential to establish a mechanical system that can control the dynamics of time-varying cancer cell populations.
In this study, we attempted to demonstrate the feasibility of cancer mechanomedicine by realizing a size control system for an in vitro three-dimensional cancer model by applying adaptive mechanical stimuli. Specifically, we constructed a feed-back mechanically controlled culture system for the size of three-dimensional cancer model during the study period.

Free Research Field

メカノバイオロジー

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

現代社会における三大疾病の一つである癌に対して，これまで化学療法や分子標的治療法など様々な治療法が確立されてきた．一方で，化学物質に起因する副作用を克服することは長年の課題であった．そこで近年，化学物質を用いた治療法ではなく，力学的刺激を用いて癌細胞の生化学応答を制御しようと試みる“癌メカノメディスン”が注目されてきた．しかし，従来法はフィードフォワード型システムであり，生体内の外乱に対する耐性に限界があると考えられる．本研究では，比較的外乱に強いフィードバック型システムの構築を目指した．“癌メカノメディスン”の社会実装を押し進めるための重要な基盤技術となることが期待される．