Abstract
We here report a new culturing method to produce micro vascular-mimetic tissue consisting of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and endothelial cells (ECs) toward the practical use of tissue engineering. To achieve the stable coculture, the requirements for SMC culture in microchannels are clarified by basic experiments. Then, a new microchip that satisfies those requirements was developed by bonding glass substrate and porous polycarbonate membranes. Finally, the stable coculture of SMC and ECs in confined micro-space was demonstrated for the first time. Those knowledge and new system would contribute not only to the vascular tissue engineering but also to the cellular engineering in micro-space.