Development of in vitro skeletal muscle tissue models and their application as atrophy models for drug development

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26709062
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Biofunction/Bioprocess
• Research Institution: Nagoya University
• Principal Investigator: Shimizu Kazunori 名古屋大学, 工学研究科, 准教授 (70402500)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: バイオマイクロデバイス / 骨格筋細胞 / 電気刺激 / 筋萎縮

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we developed cell assay technology for muscle atrophy. We developed a skeletal muscle tissue chip with a 3D muscle tissue on a microdevice and developed a muscle atrophy model by inducing atrophy to it. Specifically, we succeeded in constructing a three-dimensional tissue that contracts in response to electrical stimulation using mouse and human skeletal muscle cells. We found that the muscle atrophy-related genes were highly expressed and their contractile power significantly decreased by adding the compound to the culture medium of those tissues. Furthermore, we showed that the developed muscle atrophy model was capable of searching for substances that suppress the decrease in contractile force.

Free Research Field

生物工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

超高齢化社会では筋萎縮やそれに続く筋収縮力低下が社会問題になると予想され、それらを予防・改善する新薬の開発が求められている。従来は筋萎縮モデルとして後肢懸垂マウス (尾を糸で釣り上げたままにし、前肢だけで生活させるようにしたマウス) が頻用されるが、種差などからモデルとして不十分であり、動物愛護の観点からも、これに替わる新たなモデルの開発が必要である。それに対し、本研究では培養筋細胞を用いて、筋萎縮モデルを構築し、スループット性高く、抗筋萎縮薬の探索に活用可能な技術を構築した。