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

探讨了角膜基质超微结构的形成机制。在生成上层建筑的一部分中，我们假设细胞重新排列细胞外基质，并扮演上层建筑的模子的角色。为了验证这一假设，我们利用电纺纳米纤维建立了新的人工ECM模型，并与流体型培养系统相结合，给出了类似于组织生成的条件。在这个系统中，细胞和人工ECM似乎是通过介质流动获得张力力，它模拟了组织生成过程中组织扩张所产生的力。在这种情况下，许多细胞将纳米纤维捆绑在一起，重新排列细胞外基质的方向。该结构的一部分看起来类似于天然的角膜上层建筑。我们相信，该系统将成为研究更详细的上层建筑形成机理的有力工具。

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.