A Thermoresponsive Polymer and Its Use in a Cell Culture Support

Simple SummaryContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

This invention introduces a novel thermoresponsive polymer, which can be coated onto various cell culture substrates and enables the non-destructive detachment of intact cell sheets by simply lowering the temperature. The polymer features a linear polyether chain with designed side chains, including photo-crosslinkable moieties that allow for stable immobilization onto substrates like polystyrene through UV irradiation. The engineered polymer structure facilitates cell adhesion, proliferation, and the gentle release of cell layers, eliminating the need for harsh enzymes or mechanical scraping.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Production of transplantable cell sheets for regenerative medicine (e.g., cardiac, corneal, skin tissue engineering)
• Manufacture of temperature-responsive culture dishes, plates, and multiwell formats for research or clinical use
• Growth and sheet harvesting of sensitive or stem cell types where preservation of extracellular matrix is critical
• High-throughput cell culture applications where rapid and gentle cell harvest is beneficial (e.g., drug screening, cell therapy production)
• Functionalization of non-flat or irregularly shaped culture supports for advanced cell culture platforms

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Enables gentle, enzyme-free harvest of intact cell sheets, preserving cell viability and extracellular matrix
• Easy and stable coating of a wide variety of polymeric substrates, including complex shapes and common laboratory plastics
• Precise control over coating thickness and surface properties, tailored to optimal cell adhesion and detachment behavior
• Robust immobilization via UV-activated photo-crosslinkable groups ensures long-term coating stability, even under washing or high-shear conditions
• Simple, scalable, and cost-effective manufacturing process without the need for complex equipment or expensive pre-functionalization steps
• Applicable across a broad range of cell types, from fibroblasts to stem cells
• Minimizes damage and maintains cell function compared to traditional enzymatic or mechanical detachment methods

Technical Classifications (CPCs)

Inventors & Applicants

Patent Abstract

The present invention relates to a thermoresponsive polymer comprising a linear polyether chain of the general formulae (I) Nu-[CH 2 -CR 1 R 2 O] m -[CH 2 -CR 3 R 4 O] m -[CH 2 -CR 5 R 6 O] o -[CH 2 -CR 7 R 8 O] p -H; wherein R 1 , R 3 , R 5 and R 7 are in each case H or a C 1 -C 10 alkyl side chain, wherein R 1 , R 3 , R 5 and R 7 may be the same or different; R 2 and R 4 are in each case a side chain comprising at least one thermoresponsive moiety, wherein R 2 and R 4 may be the same or different; R 6 and R 8 are in each case H, a moiety containing at least one C=C double bond or a photo-crosslinkable moiety selected from a group of aromatic and heteroaromatic compounds, wherein R 6 and R 8 may the same or different, wherein at least one of R 6 and R 8 has to be a photo-crosslinkable moiety, Nu is nucleophilic moiety selected from a group comprising halogen or alkoxy; m, n are in each case or in sum 10-5000, preferably 10-1000, more preferably 100-500; o, p are in each case 1-20 or in sum 2-20, preferably 3-15, more preferably 5-10. The invention also relates to a cell substrate support comprising the polymer.