We Are Tomodachi Spring 2018

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19Cyfuse Board of Directors member and CFO Masahiro Sanjo says, “It will take some time for such advanced regenerative medicine and the cell-based products developed with Japanese technology to become a new global standard, but I would like to work step by step towards accomplishing Cyfuse’s dream to ‘Create New Hope from Cells.’”Tens of thousands of cells cultivated from a small sample extracted from the patient are agglutinated, producing cell-based structures 0.5 mm (0.02 in.) in diameter called “spheroids,” which are stacked on a jig containing a needle array (called a kenzan). Next, the spheroids of cells are made to fuse with each other utilizing the cells’ natural abilities inside a culture solution. Once they have matured, they are removed from the needle array.Step 1: Spheroid preparationAfter large numbers of the type of cell corresponding to the target tissue or organ have been cultivated, tens of thousands of these cells are agglutinated to produce each cell spheroidStep 2: 3D printing with the “Kenzan method”The cell spheroids are stacked three-dimensionally in accordance with the 3D data inputStep 3: MaturationRestructuring and self-organization based on cell type leads to the formation of working tissue and organsCellsRegenova and an actual kenzan needle array. Cell spheroids are picked up and stacked one by one, which would be a truly arduous task for humans. Currently, Regenova is in its third generation, and research to enable production of larger structures and operation at faster speeds continues.to three-dimensional arrangement parameters that have been set using 3D design software. This cuts production time, which would amount to several dozen hours if researchers constructed the tissue manually, and improves consistency in the quality of structures produced. “Connecting high-level biotech research and engineering and then commercializing this connection is a generally difficult task because of the extent of mutual understanding required. However, many different individuals share Cyfuse’s ideal of ‘contributing to the rapid progress of medicine through the implementation of innovative technology’ and have helped bring about innovations through the fusion of biology and engineering. Since the Regenova system’s launch in 2012, it has spread both domestically and internationally, and research and development regarding its commercialization is accelerating at each of the institutions that have adopted it,” recounts Sanjo.With Regenova, a variety of cell-based structures can be produced. Cyfuse is currently focusing its research and development on the generation of bones, cartilage, blood vessels, and peripheral nerves, for which there are the most significant unmet needs in medical settings. All of such research is carried out in conjunction with universities, research institutes, and private companies, and Cyfuse also receives support from governmental sources including national research and development agencies. The production of bones and cartilage has moved to the clinical trial stage, while that of blood vessels and peripheral nerves is still in pre-clinical development. Cyfuse is also involved in the development of liver structures to use as samples in the evaluation of newly developed medication and in the exploration of mechanisms that lead to disease. Expectations for such research in the field of drug discovery support are rising, since the risk of clinical trials involving human subjects will decrease once it becomes possible to conduct trials using liver structures produced only from human cells.In the future, Cyfuse will continue its efforts to bring current research to market, spread advanced technology, initiate new technology development, and strive to expand its market share through technological innovation and lowering costs. “It is our hope to be able to provide patients with new options that will allow recovery from diseases and injuries that used to be considered impossible,” says Sanjo. “In order for that to happen, we mustn’t withhold our technology, but share it widely with the industry. We will keep working with as many universities, research organizations, and companies as possible to bring patients hope.”The “Kenzan method,” a platform technology for the three-dimensional stacking of cells