Study on three-dimensional arrangement control of an artificial extracellular matrix by imprinting cell surface morphology

研究了角膜基质上层结构的形成机理。在上层建筑产生的一部分，我们假设如下，细胞重新排列ECM，并发挥上层建筑的模具作用。为了证明这一假设，我们利用静电纺丝纳米纤维，结合流体型培养系统，开发了新的人工ECM模型，提供了类似组织生成的条件。在这个系统中，细胞和人工ECM似乎受到了介质流动的张力，它模拟了组织生成过程中组织膨胀所产生的力。在这种条件下，许多细胞将纳米纤维捆绑在一起并重新排列ECM方向。该结构的一部分看起来与天然角膜上层结构相似。我们相信这个系统将是一个强大的工具来研究更多的细节机制来创造上层建筑。

The mechanism for generating the superstructure of corneal stroma was investigated. In a part of the generating the superstructure, we are hypothesizing as follows, the cells rearrange the ECM and play a role as the mold of the superstructure. To prove the hypothesis, we developed the new artificial ECM model using electrospun nanofibers and combined with fluid type culture system to give the condition similar to the tissue generation. In this system, the cell and the artificial ECM seems to be gotten the tensioning force by the medium flow, it's mimicking the force that created by the expansion of the tissue in the process of tissue generation. Under the condition, many cells bundled the nanofibers up and rearranged the ECM direction. A part of the structure looks similar to the natural corneal superstructure. We believe this system will be powerful tool to investigate more detail mechanism to create the superstructure.