Importance of beating rate control for the analysis of drug effects on contractility in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes.

Cardiac contractility evaluation using human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) has recently attracted much attention as a clinical cardiotoxicity predictive model. Most studies on this were conducted under spontaneous beating conditions and involved video-based analyses. Cardiac contractility is known to be influenced by beating rates; accordingly, beating rate control is recommended to accurately analyze the effects of drugs on cardiac contractility.

Functional Analysis of Induced Human Ballooned Hepatocytes in a Cell Sheet-Based Three Dimensional Model.

Background: Ballooned hepatocytes (BH) are a key histological hallmark of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), yet their consequences for liver-specific functions are unknown.

Methods: In our previous study, an experimental model of human induced-BHs (iBH) has been successfully developed based on cell sheet technology. This study aimed to determine the functions of iBHs in the primary human hepatocyte/normal human dermal fibroblast (PHH/NHDF) co-culture cell sheets.

Effect of mechanical vibration stress in cell culture on human induced pluripotent stem cells.

The development of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) techniques has solved various limitations in cell culture including cellular proliferation and potency. Hence, the expectations on wider applications and the quality of manufactured iPSCs are rapidly increasing. To answer such growing expectations, enhancement of technologies to improve cell-manufacturing efficiency is now a challenge for the bioengineering field.

Production of Human Ballooned Hepatocytes in a Cell Sheet-based Three-dimensional Model.

Ballooned hepatocytes (BH) are enlarged, abnormal hepatocytes, which are usually involved in liver diseases, in particular, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). However, formation of BHs has been seldom reported. This study reported an strategy to produce human BHs in a cell sheet-based three-dimensional (3D) model where primary human hepatocytes were cocultured with normal human dermal fibroblasts.

Analysis of force vector field during centrifugation for optimizing cell sheet adhesion.

A three-dimensional tissue was fabricated by layering cell sheets with centrifugation. In this system, an optimal centrifugal force promoted the adhesion between (a) a cell sheet and a culture dish, and (b) layered cell sheets, resulting in a significant decrease in the fabrication time of the tissue. However, negative effects like sliding/significant deformation of cell sheets were observed upon high rotational speed use.

A novel, flexible and automated manufacturing facility for cell-based health care products: Tissue Factory.

Introduction: Current production facilities for Cell-Based Health care Products (CBHPs), also referred as Advanced-Therapy Medicinal Products or Regenerative Medicine Products, are still dependent on manual work performed by skilled workers. A more robust, safer and efficient manufacturing system will be necessary to meet the expected expansion of this industrial field in the future. Thus, the 'flexible Modular Platform (fMP)' was newly designed to be a true "factory" utilizing the state-of-the-art technology to replace conventional "laboratory-like" manufacturing methods.

Rapid creation system of morphologically and functionally communicative three-dimensional cell-dense tissue by centrifugation.

This study reports a rapid fabrication system of a morphologically and functionally communicative three-dimensional (3D) cell-dense tissue without scaffolds by centrifugation. The tight adhesion between C2C12 myoblasts and culture surface was accelerated without significant cell damage by centrifugation (80 x g, 37 °C, 30 min). A thicker tissue created on a temperature-responsive culture surface was harvested by decreasing temperature.

Rapid fabrication of detachable three-dimensional tissues by layering of cell sheets with heating centrifuge.

Confluent cultured cells on a temperature-responsive culture dish can be harvested as an intact cell sheet by decreasing temperature below 32°C. A three-dimensional (3-D) tissue can be fabricated by the layering of cell sheets. A resulting 3-D multilayered cell sheet-tissue on a temperature-responsive culture dish can be also harvested without any damage by only temperature decreasing.

[Pulmonary asbestosis: an autopsy case].

The deceased was a 75-year-old male, found dead in his home. He had a history of occupational asbestos exposure for 13 years. At autopsy, there was diffuse fibrosis of the lung, with diffuse pleural thickening.

Creation of myocardial tubes using cardiomyocyte sheets and an in vitro cell sheet-wrapping device.

Regenerative medicine involving injection of isolated cells and transplantation of tissue-engineered myocardial patches, has received significant attention as an alternative method to repair damaged heart muscle. In the present study, as the next generation of myocardial tissue engineering we demonstrate the in vitro fabrication of pulsatile myocardial tubes using cell sheet engineering technologies. Three neonatal rat cardiomyocyte sheets, which were harvested from temperature-responsive culture dishes, were wrapped around fibrin tubes using a novel cell sheet-wrapping device.