Development of an optimized mechanical stimulation system for cartilage tissue culture using in-situ feedback of the gene transcriptional response

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18H01398
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 20010:Mechanics and mechatronics-related
• Research Institution: Doshisha University
• Principal Investigator: Yamamoto Koji 同志社大学, 生命医科学部, 教授 (70536565)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 森田 有亮 同志社大学, 生命医科学部, 教授 (80368141)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 軟骨再生 / 再生医療 / in-situフィードバック / 力学刺激 / 転写応答 / 最適化

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In regenerative medicine, it is required to develop a system enabled to culture tissue effectively in vitro. In this study, we have developed an optimized mechanical stimulation system for cartilage tissue culture using in-situ feedback of the gene transcriptional response. To reveal the relation between mechanical stimulation and production of matrix proteins of chondrocytes, we initially evaluated the effect of an orientation of collagen fibers on cellular response to mechanical stimulation in cartilage tissue. Secondly, we investigated the effect of mechanical stimulation on the formation of collagen constructs. Considering these results, we successfully optimized the mechanical stimulation adapting to cellular metabolism using in-situ monitoring of the collagen-specific gene response.

Free Research Field

生体医工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

培養組織のタンパク質合成を促すために数多くの刺激条件探索が行われているが，装置や培養担体が変わると再度条件を再構成する実験が繰り返されている．本研究で開発したシステムでは遺伝子転写情報を利用することで，細胞の状態に適応した刺激制御を行うため，培養環境の影響が少なく効率的な刺激パターンの生成が可能となる．また，転写応答を利用しているため，力学刺激に対する分子応答が解析可能であり，新規分子経路の同定など，再生医療分野における新たな発展が期待できる．