Nanotechnology-based regenerative medicine--cell sheet engineering utilizing temperature-responsive culture dishes
Yamato, M.; Okano, T.
Nihon Rinsho. Japanese Journal of Clinical Medicine 64(2): 335-341
2006
ISSN/ISBN: 0047-1852 PMID: 16454190 Document Number: 595915
Regenerative medicine is believed to overcome shortcomings of conventional therapies including symptomatic drug therapy and surgical removal. We have utilized nanotechnology for regenerative medicine to develop temperature-responsive culture dishes, on which a temperature-responsive polymer is covalently grafted with precise control of its density and thickness in a nanometer scale. Confluent cells cultured on the dishes are intactly harvested as a single contiguous cell sheet by reducing temperature below 32 degrees C, and harvested cell sheets are subjected to tissue reconstruction, named cell sheet engineering. Here, we introduce the examples of clinical applications including corneal regeneration as well as large animal studies.