The development of three-dimensional cell culture system imitating in vivo niche and architecture during the formation of seminiferous tubules to generate functional testicular organoid

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17H05098
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Urology
• Research Institution: Yokohama City University
• Principal Investigator: Komeya Mitsuru 横浜市立大学, 医学研究科, 客員研究員 (60721082)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 男性不妊 / 精子形成 / オルガノイド / マイクロ流体システム / トランスクリプトーム / 細胞培養

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study used two approaches to generate functional testicular organoid. First, the architecture of seminiferous tubule was imitated by the sheet device in which germ cells were incubated on Sertoli cell sheet. By the device, Sertoli cell sheet was maintained over 3months and germ cell were divided into the early meiotic stages. Second, testicular cells were incubated by the self-organization technique. Germ cells were arranged in a chain at the outer area of organoids and were divided into the early meiotic stages.

Free Research Field

生殖医学、アンドロロジー、結石症学、再生医学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

不妊症の50～60%に関与する男性不妊の病態解明や治療法の開発をすすめるうえで、ヒトin vitro実験系の確立が重要である。特に細胞培養系によりiPS細胞を用いたin vitro精子形成が実現できれば研究推進が強く期待できる。本研究は、精細管の基本である層構造および精細管の管腔形成過程を再現することで精子形成を減数分裂初期まで進展させることができた。細胞培養下でのヒトin vitro精子形成の実現に向けた貴重な知見を得ることが出来た。