June 27, 2017
Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
Tokyo Institute of Technology
Keio University
Tohoku University
Key Points
- We have successfully formed artificial cells supported by a skeleton.
- Artificial cells with enhanced durability from the skeleton are expected to have applications in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.
A group of researchers—including Tenure-Track Associate Professor Miho Yanagisawa and graduate student Chikako Kurokawa from the Department of Applied Physics, Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology; Associate Professor Masahiro Takinoue from the Department of Computer Science, School of Computing, Tokyo Institute of Technology; Senior Assistant Professor Kei Fujiwara from the Department of Biosciences and Informatics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University; and Professor Satoshi Murata from the Department of Robotics, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University—has succeeded in giving a skeleton to an artificially created cell model (liposome, or artificial cell), making it as hard as a real cell. The cells that make up our bodies are extremely stable due to a network structure called the cytoskeleton. Liposomes have been used as drug delivery capsules and cosmetic ingredients, but they lacked a cytoskeleton-like structure, which was a problem as it caused them to break easily with even slight stimuli. In this study, the team created an artificial cytoskeleton using a technique called DNA nanotechnology and incorporated it into liposomes. These liposomes with an artificial cytoskeleton did not collapse and maintained their shape even when subjected to stimuli that would destroy conventional liposomes without a skeleton. Increasing the durability of liposomes has been the biggest challenge for their application in medicinal capsules, cosmetics, and other areas, but this achievement may overcome this problem.
For the full press release, please see below.