Development of superior cells and DDS for accelerating regenerative medicine
History and Background of This Division
DDS research has been conducted at Tokyo University of Science since early days. Our division originated from the DDS Research Division, which was established in 2003 at the Research Institutes for Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science. In the “Fusion of Regenerative Medicine with DDS Division” which began in 2015, researchers led by Professor Kimiko Makino have conducted collaborative research focusing on regenerative medicine and the development of DDS for intractable diseases. To continue these activities, a predecessor round-table conference on “Superior Cells and DDS Development for Regenerative Medicine” was established in 2020, which was re-established as a division in April 2021.
Research Purposes and Goals of This Division
Under the overall goal of accelerating cell-based therapy and regenerative medicine, our division focuses on (1) the development of “superior cells” by functionalizing the cells administered to patients for therapeutic purposes, and (2) the development of DDS that can precisely manipulate the in vivo distribution of cells and other functional molecules. Research objectives also include the development of therapeutic modalities for respiratory, brain, immune, cancer, and bone diseases.
Members and Their Roles in This Division
The four groups cooperate with each other to accelerate group research.
(1) Superior Cell/DDS Development Group
This group designs and constructs superior cells and develops DDS to control the function and in vivo distribution of cells and other functional bioactive molecules. The goal is to develop “superior cells” that outperform existing cells in terms of cellular functions through (1) the addition of novel functions, (2) the development of multicellular spheroids/organoids, and (3) the use of exosomes and other extracellular vesicles. In addition, various delivery systems will be developed and applied to the above cells, and their usefulness will be tested in animal models.
(2) Cell Function Regulation System Development Group
This group creates novel compounds that regulate cellular functions, and functional materials that can be used in cell-based therapy and regenerative medicine. These compounds and materials are provided to other groups for application and analysis. The data obtained will be used for developing further functional compounds/materials.
(3) Physical Property Control/Analysis Group
This group evaluates the physical properties of the items developed by the superior cell/DDS development group and the cell function regulation system development group, including superior cells, delivery systems, and functional compounds/materials. This group supports the optimization of these items by providing data feedback to the corresponding groups.
(4) Cell/Tissue Regeneration Group
This group investigates the regeneration mechanism of lung, bone and other tissues, and the treatment of diseases of these tissues/organs. In addition, the interaction between superior cells/DDS and the immune system will be analyzed.
Figure 1
summarizes the members and roles of each group. This division develops superior cells and DDS regenerative medicine by establishing organic relationships among the division members in pursuit of a new level of collaboration.
Figure 1 Members and roles of each group.