Research Summary and Impact on the Academic and Industrial Sectors

Prof. Teruo Okano
 - Emeritus Professor and Specially Appointed Consultant, Tokyo Women’s Medical University, JAPAN
 - Distinguished Adjunct Professor, Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Director, Cell Sheet Tissue Engineering Center, School of Medicine and College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, USA

[Research achievement title]

Development of cell sheet engineering using temperature-responsive polymers and its application to regenerative medicine

[Research summary]

Inventing smart cell culture dishes coated with nano-leveled thickness of temperature-responsive polymers, Prof. Okano has developed a world-leading technology that allows for easy harvesting of cells as sheets simply by lowering the temperature and without cell-damaging enzymatic treatment. The technology has been applied to regenerative medicine, achieving the innovative therapy where transplanting the cell sheets to diseased tissue and organs. In particular, the heart of a patient with severe heart failure enables the patient to recover enough by cell sheets to walk without an artificial heart.

[Impact on the academic and industrial sectors]

The cell sheet technology, which started as materials science research, now leads innovation in the field of regenerative medicine. Clinical trials are being conducted not only for the treatment of heart failure, but also for the regeneration of corneal and periodontal tissues, prevention of stenosis after esophageal cancer resection, among others. Further development is expected as the world’s first, cutting-edge medical technology originating from Japan.

Prof. Kazuhiko Ishihara
 - Specially Appointed Professor, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, JAPAN
 - Emeritus Professor, The University of Tokyo, JAPAN

[Research achievement title]

Pioneering work in the development of biomimetic polymer biomaterials and their medical applications

[Research summary]

Prof. Ishihara has contributed to the development of biomimetic polymers inspired by cell membrane surface structure and function. He has also shown that super-hydrophilic biomimetic polymers can dramatically improve the functionality of medical devices that are implanted in the body for an extended period, such as artificial hearts and vascular stents, by inhibiting protein adsorption and cell adhesion, and has continued to demonstrate the technology’s innovative potential for use in surface treatment of a range of medical devices.

[Impact on the academic and industrial sectors]

Prof. Ishihara’s achievements range from the molecular design of the polymers, establishing the method of synthesis, and basic research to the application of medical devices, thereby making a significant contribution to the advancement of medicine. For over 25 years, the biomimetic polymers have been used for the surface treatment of various medical devices such as contact lenses, artificial hearts, artificial lungs, catheters, vascular stents, cerebral aneurysm treatment systems, and artificial hip joints. The research achievements are highly valued both in academia and in industry. They have contributed to the growth and improvement of biomaterials science over the years, with their impacts spreading to a wide range of fields, including biomedical engineering and interface science.

Prof. Donald E. Ingber
 - Founding Director and Core Faculty Member, Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, USA
 - Judah Folkman Professor of Vascular Biology, Harvard Medical School and Boston Children's Hospital, USA
 - Hansjörg Wyss Professor of Bioinspired Engineering, Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, USA

[Research achievement title]

Proposal of the cellular tensegrity model and the invention of organ-on-a-chip technology

[Research summary]

Inspired by the similarity between biological cells and the tensegrity architectures, the systems that stabilize their overall structure by balancing tensile and contractile forces through establishment of an internal prestress, Prof. Ingber showed the significant role that mechanical forces play in tissue and organ formation as well as cancer progression. Inspired by these insights and leveraging approaches from microchip manufacturing, Prof. Ingber created the organ-on-a-chip technology and demonstrated its applications to drug discovery and personalized medicine using these miniaturized organ mimics instead of experimental animals.

[Impact on the academic and industrial sectors]

Prof. Ingber’s research had a tremendous impact on various fields, such as mechanobiology, tissue engineering, and translational medicine. He also pioneered a new academic discipline called “biologically inspired engineering” and became the founding director of the Wyss Institute at Harvard University, which develops new engineering innovations based on this concept. Prof. Ingber also founded seven companies in fields ranging from organs-on-chips, 3D printing, and tissue engineering to medical devices, point-of-care diagnostics, and computer-assisted drug discovery. His achievements have been recognized not only in academia, but also in the world of art with his work being exhibited at many museums including MoMA, with their impacts spreading widely to multiple industries.