Intelligent surfaces for cell sheet tissue engineering

We have developed a unique approach to harvest cultured cell sheets only by lowering temperature from a temperature-responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PIPAAm)-grafted tissue culture polystyrene dish surface, which exhibits temperature-dependent hydrophilic/hydrophobic changes. Using these cultured cell sheets harvested from the temperature-responsive intelligent surfaces, we have established so called “cell sheet engineering” to create functional tissue sheets for treating a wide range of diseases from corneal dysfunction to esophageal ulceration, periodontal ligament damage, cartilage injury, and cardiac failure. For advancing the next stage of cell sheet tissue engineering, the in vitro creation of vascularized tissues with perfusable blood vessels has been investigated. We also designed new methodologies as a top-down approach for constructing three-dimensionally micrometer-scale-oriented capillary networks using microfabrication technique.