Cell culture substrate and cell culture method using same
View Patent ↗The present invention provides a cell culture substrate capable of culturing cells efficiently. The cell culture substrate of the present invention includes a substrate, a plurality of fibrous protrusions formed on the substrate, and water-repellent film formed on a surface of each of the fibrous protrusions. The fibrous protrusions are intertwined with each other to form a matrix structure. According to such a cell culture substrate, when a culture solution containing a specimen is discharged to the water-repellent fibrous protrusions, cells can be cultured easily without contact, thus enabling cells to be cultured efficiently.
1. A cell culture substrate comprising:
a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface; and
a fiber structure disposed on the first surface of the substrate, the fiber structure being formed by a plurality of fibrous protrusions, wherein:
the plurality of fibrous protrusions are made of amorphous silicon dioxide,
a water-repellent film is disposed on a surface of each of the fibrous protrusions,
the plurality of fibrous protrusions are three-dimensionally and randomly intertwined with each other to form the fiber structure, and
the fiber structure includes void portions inside the fiber structure.
2. The cell culture substrate of claim 1 ,
wherein each of the plurality of fibrous protrusions bends plural times.
3. The cell culture substrate of claim 1 ,
wherein the water-repellent film includes a carbon fluoride polymer.
4. The cell culture substrate of claim 1 ,
wherein ends of the plurality of fibrous protrusions and the substrate are directly joined to each other.
5. The cell culture substrate of claim 1 ,
wherein the first surface of the substrate has a recess, and the plurality of fibrous protrusions are formed on an inner bottom surface and a side surface of the recess.
6. The cell culture substrate of claim 1 , wherein:
the substrate is provided with a through hole communicating the first surface with the second surface, and
the fiber structure is formed from a peripheral portion of the through hole in the first surface to an inner wall surface of the through hole.
7. The cell culture substrate of claim 1 ,
wherein the water-repellent film is disposed on surfaces of the fibrous protrusions located inside the fiber structure.
8. The cell culture substrate of claim 1 ,
wherein a space between the fibrous protrusions is 0.001 μm to 10 μm.
9. The cell culture substrate of claim 1 ,
wherein a thickness of at least one of the plurality of fibrous protrusions is 0.01 μm to 10 μm.
10. The cell culture substrate of claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of fibrous protrusions randomly branch.
11. The cell culture substrate of claim 1 ,
wherein plural fiber structures, each of which includes the plurality of fibrous protrusions, are separately disposed on the first surface of the substrate.
12. The cell culture substrate of claim 6 ,
wherein a shape of the through hole is a taper shape in which a diameter of the through hole becomes narrower from the first surface to the second surface.
13. A cell culture method comprising:
disposing a culture solution containing a cell on an upper part of the fiber structure of the cell culture substrate of claim 1 ;
setting the cell culture substrate in a cell culture environment maintaining device; and
maintaining an environment such that an inside of the cell culture environment maintaining device has a predetermined gas concentration with gas.
14. The cell culture method of claim 13 ,
wherein the gas includes at least any of carbon dioxide and oxygen, and
the gas is maintained at a predetermined concentration.
15. The cell culture method of claim 13 ,
wherein the gas is allowed to circulate in the void portions existing inside the fiber structure.