Cell sheet engineering

We have developed ‘cell sheet engineering’ in order to avoid the limitations of tissue reconstruction using biodegradable scaffolds or single cell suspension injection. Our concept is tissue reconstruction, not from single cells, but from cell sheets. Cell sheets are prepared using temperature-responsive culture dishes. Temperature-responsive polymers are covalently grafted onto the dishes, allowing various types of cells to adhere and proliferate at 37°C. The cells spontaneously detach when the temperature is reduced below 32°C without the need for proteolytic enzymes. The confluent cells are noninvasively harvested as single, contiguous cell sheets with intact cell-cell junctions and deposited extracellular matrix (ECM). We have used these harvested cell sheets for various tissue reconstructions, including ocular surfaces, periodontal ligaments, cardiac patches, and bladder augmentation.