Noninvasive cross-sectional observation of three-dimensional cell sheet-tissue-fabrication by optical coherence tomography

• Development of an OCT system to noninvasively analyze three-dimensional cell sheet-tissues.
• Noninvasive and cross-sectional observation of the adhesions between layered cell sheets in detail.
• Noninvasive and cross-sectional observation of beating three-dimensional cardiac tissues.

Cell sheet engineering allows investigators/clinicians to prepare cell-dense three-dimensional (3-D) tissues, and various clinical trials with these fabricated tissues have already been performed for regenerating damaged tissues. Cell sheets are easily manipulated and 3-D tissues can be rapidly fabricated by layering the cell sheets. This study used optical coherence tomography (OCT) to noninvasively analyze the following processes: (1) adhesions between layered cell sheets, and (2) the beating and functional interaction of cardiac cell sheet-tissues for fabricating functional thicker 3-D tissues. The tight adhesions and functional couplings between layered cell sheets could be observed cross-sectionally and in real time. Importantly, the noninvasive and cross-sectional analyses of OCT make possible to fabricate 3-D tissues by confirming the adherence and functional couplings between layered cell sheets. OCT technology would contribute to cell sheet engineering and regenerative medicine.