Abstract: Under a state where the zipper 22 of a culture bag is opened, an operator depresses the opening button 43 of an arm 40 with one finger. Consequently, a force for oscillating the arm 40 to separate a retaining portion 49 upward from the culture surface 32 around a pin 42 acts against the urging force of a leaf spring 50. Consequently, the tip 52a of an extended portion 52 ascends to a predetermined position while resisting against the urging force of the leaf spring 50. Since the lower surface 20a of the culture bag 20 is retained by a base 31 and the upper surface 20b is raised upward by the tip 52a of an extended portion 52, opening 24 of the culture bag 20 is widened. Since the width of the base 31 is larger than that of the arm 40, upper space of the culture surface 32 is not occupied by the arm 40 and a sufficiently wide work space is provided in the culture bag 20.

Abstract: A cell-sheet releasing agent of the present invention contains an aminated polyrotaxane. The polyrotaxane constituting the skeleton of the cell-releasing agent of the present invention has a structure in which cavities of a plurality of cyclic molecules are threaded onto a linear molecule and both terminals of the linear molecule have a bulky cap bonded thereto so that the cyclic molecules are not dethreaded from the linear molecule. Furthermore, the aminated polyrotaxane contained in the cell-releasing agent of the present invention is a compound in which at least some of hydroxy groups in the cyclodextrin structure contained in the polyrotaxane are each substituted with a substituent having an amino group. According to this cell-sheet releasing agent, cultured cells anchored to the surface of a container can be released without damaging the cells and without controlling the temperature.

Abstract: To determine the transplant compatibility of an in vitro cultured tissue, a method measures the stiffness of the cultured tissue by using a stiffness measuring device, which stiffness measuring device includes a detecting unit and calculation means, the detecting unit includes a contact unit, a vibrator connected to the contact unit, and a vibration detecting unit for detecting the vibration of the vibrator, and the calculation means determines stiffness information by calculation based on the detected result from the vibration detecting element; and by bringing the contact unit into contact with the cultured tissue. With this method the transplant compatibility of the cultured tissue can be nondestructively and easily determined easily and the quality of the cultured tissue can be appropriately controlled.

Abstract: A cell culture method prepares first cells that are adhesion-dependent cells and monolayered or multilayered cells on a culture surface of a culture substrate, seeds second cells that are adhesion-dependent cells and are magnetized by allowing to have magnetic particles on the first cells, induces the second cells to a predetermined position on the first cells by magnetic force, and cultures the first cells and the second cells in a cell arrangement obtained by the magnetic induction. According to this cell culture method, after a cell sheet was prepared individually, cells can be multilayered without changing a temperature, peeling the monolayered sheet and laminating the monolayered sheets.

Abstract: Epidermal keratinocytes not incorporating magnetic particles therein and epidermal keratinocytes incorporating magnetic particles therein were seeded in a 24-well ultra-low-attachment plate, and cultured for one day after a neodymium magnet was placed outside the bottom of the well. As a result, control epidermal keratinocytes not incorporating magnetic particles therein did not adhere to the bottom of the well and did not form an undifferentiated cell sheet. On the contrary, epidermal keratinocytes incorporating magnetic particles therein, while being attracted to the bottom of the well by magnetic force, formed a multilayered cell sheet. This cell sheet could be easily recovered by removing the neodymium magnet placed outside the bottom of the well, then bringing a magnet having a hydrophilic film attached thereto close to the cell sheet from upside and to attract it via this hydrophilic film, and lifting it.

Abstract: A transplant material which is capable of imparting desired mechanical properties, elevating bone tissue repair speed and improving biocompatibility. This transplant material comprises an artificial and biologically inactive material, which is to be implanted in vivo as a substitute for bone tissue, and at least one type of cells selected from among osteoblasts and precursory osteoblasts which are adhered to the surface of the artificial material so that the artificial material is coated with the bone matrix produced by the cells. The artificial material involves not only a biologically inactive material but also a biologically inactive material coated with a biologically active substrate.

Abstract: The pharmaceutical formulation for inhibiting wound contraction of the present invention includes secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor as an active ingredient. The SLPI concentration in the pharmaceutical formulation is preferably 1–5000 ng/ml, and more preferably 1–100 ng/ml. The pharmaceutical formulation for inhibiting wound contraction of the present invention may be prepared as an external preparation including a base and the SLPI as an active ingredient. The pharmaceutical formulation for inhibiting wound contraction of the present invention may be prepared as an injection including the SLPI as an active ingredient. The external preparation may preferably include a preservative. The injection may preferably include a stabilizer (an antioxidant), a preservative and an analgesic agent.

Abstract: To determine the transplant compatibility of an in vitro cultured tissue, a method measures the stiffness of the cultured tissue by using a stiffness measuring device, which stiffness measuring device includes a detecting unit and calculation means, the detecting unit includes a contact unit, a vibrator connected to the contact unit, and a vibration detecting unit for detecting the vibration of the vibrator, and the calculation means determines stiffness information by calculation based on the detected result from the vibration detecting element; and by bringing the contact unit into contact with the cultured tissue. With this method the transplant compatibility of the cultured tissue can be nondestructively and easily determined easily and the quality of the cultured tissue can be appropriately controlled.

Abstract: Base materials for tissue regeneration which enable the tissue regeneration, have mechanical properties needed in the tissue regeneration and can disappear via degradation in vivo after the completion of the tissue regeneration; and implantable materials with the use of the same. The above-described base materials for tissue regeneration comprise polyrotaxane, wherein biocompatible groups having bulky substituents have been introduced via hydrolyzable bond into both ends of a linear molecule penetrating plural cyclic molecules, or a polyrotaxane hydrogel having a network structure formed by crosslinking the cyclic molecules to each other, the biocompatible groups to each other, or the cyclic molecules to the biocompatible groups in each polyrotaxane molecule.

Abstract: To determine the transplant compatibility of an in vitro cultured tissue, a method measures the stiffness of the cultured tissue by using a stiffness measuring device, which stiffness measuring device includes a detecting unit and calculation means, the detecting unit includes a contact unit, a vibrator connected to the contact unit, and a vibration detecting unit for detecting the vibration of the vibrator, and the calculation means determines stiffness information by calculation based on the detected result from the vibration detecting element; and by bringing the contact unit into contact with the cultured tissue. With this method the transplant compatibility of the cultured tissue can be nondestructively and easily determined easily and the quality of the cultured tissue can be appropriately controlled.

Abstract: To determine the transplant compatibility of an in vitro cultured tissue, a method measures the stiffness of the cultured tissue by using a stiffness measuring device, which stiffness measuring device includes a detecting unit and calculation means, the detecting unit includes a contact unit, a vibrator connected to the contact unit, and a vibration detecting unit for detecting the vibration of the vibrator, and the calculation means determines stiffness information by calculation based on the detected result from the vibration detecting element; and by bringing the contact unit into contact with the cultured tissue. With this method the transplant compatibility of the cultured tissue can be nondestructively and easily determined easily and the quality of the cultured tissue can be appropriately controlled.