Advanced Device Medicine
- Cutting-edge materials – the development of medical devices using self-assembling peptide gel
- Cutting-edge technologies – the development of a stimulation culture system for tissue regeneration and drug discovery
Development of novel medical devices using self-assembling peptide gel and culture systems that support tissue regeneration and drug discovery
1) Application of self-assembling peptide gel
An important characteristic of any medical device is its biocompatibility. In addtion, transparency of a medical device is also needed in ophthalmologic applications. Our aim is to develop such medical devices.
In recent years, self-assembling peptides have been invented. These peptides form nanofibers in water leading to the development of a transparent gel.
Some of the important features of this gel include:
- Excellent transparency and optical properties
- Sterilization by autoclaving
- Transformation by simple processes such as physical stimulation and freeze-thaw cycles.
- Composed of 100% synthetic and no biological materials
- Possible to control the strength and elasticity of the gel
- pH neutral
Our laboratory aims to make use of this cutting-edge material and develop innovative medical devices for application in ophthalmological treatments and regenerative medicine.
2) Research and development of a novel system that uses an extended culture device to assist drug discovery and regenerative medicine
In drug discovery and regenerative medicine research, being able to mimic the biological environment is useful. In a living body, cells have to withstand various mechanical stimuli such as shear stress due to blood flow, blood pressure and intraocular pressure. However, current culture systems are usually under static conditions, which are significantly different from the actual environment in the living body. Our laboratory aims to invent culture systems that better recapitulate the actual biological environment. Combination of this extended culture system with the previously mentioned self-assembling peptide gel and carrying out three-dimensional cultures under various mechanical stimulations will be applied to drug discovery and regenerative medicine along with research on the mechanisms of glaucoma and angiogenesis.
