Close-up of experimental equipment
Although humans have achieved certain results in cultivating human cells, they still face many challenges. For example: Currently, human cells are cultured in cell culture dishes, which is a typical static culture. This method of cultivating human cells has great limitations. Cells such as human tendon cells need to be bent and Stretched "flexible tissue" cannot be cultured normally in cell culture dishes.
Aiming at the shortcomings of cultivating human cells in a static environment, A research team composed of Oxford University and the robotics company Devanthro jointly conducted a latest study: cultivating human tendon cells in robot bones , and successfully cultivating human Tendon cells can be stretched, compressed, and twisted. The details of related research have been published in Nature on May 26, 2022. Today, the editor will share with you some knowledge in this area!
Let’s first understand what tendons are in the human body.
Tendons are connective tissues that connect human muscles and bones. They have the ability to stretch and bend in all directions.
Why is it so difficult to culture artificial tendon cells?
Soft and transparent devices that hold cell material structures
In the past few decades, artificially cultivated skin cells, cartilage tissue, etc. have been successfully implanted into the human body, but researchers have not been able to overcome the technology of cultivating artificial tendon cells. problem. This is because the tenocytes cultured by in a traditional static environment do not have the flexibility of human tissues. Even if researchers use the most advanced bioreactor , the cultured artificial tenocytes cannot simulate the movement range of human tenocytes. and status.
How to cultivate tendon cells that meet the range and amplitude of human movement?
A research team at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom envisioned using external stimulation to cultivate tendon cells. Because according to previous studies, varying degrees of mechanical stimulation of cells can promote cell growth, so a research team at the University of Oxford and the robotics company Devanthro created a A robot skeleton that imitates the human shoulder and its movements, and human cells are injected into a new bioreactor based on the robot design for culture. At the same time, this bioreactor is connected to the robot skeleton, and this robot skeleton can simulate the human shoulder. The motion of the joint (mechanical stresses such as stretch, compression and torsion occur when human tendon cells naturally grow), so similar simulated motion can help the growth of artificial tendon cells.
Original design drawing of the humanoid arm (Devanthro)
After about two weeks of culture, the researchers found that the growth status of the cells in the new bioreactor was significantly different from the growth status of cells in traditional static culture. Among the differences and changes, tenocytes cultured in the robot skeleton proliferated faster than those cultured in a static environment and showed different expression of the gene .
Artificially cultured tendon cells under the microscope
Final summary:
This study proves that it is feasible to culture human cells on robot skeletons. But for this current experiment, researchers are not yet completely sure whether the newly cultured cells have achieved the functions of normal human tendon cells. There are still many tests to be done, such as which bioreactor materials are best to use, which cell types adapt best to mechanical stress, and which robot movement patterns are most useful for growing human tissue.
Complete experimental device diagram
The editor believes that future research based on humanoid bioreactors will be an important form of artificial culture of cells in the future. I look forward to this research bringing more surprises to mankind in the future!
Author ｜Kang Hong
Source ｜Selected works submitted to the 2nd Zhengzhou Popular Science Essay Contest
Statement ｜The views represent only the author's own and do not represent the position of this account
