Cell construct for cell transplantation and cell aggregate for cell transplantation

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a cell construct for cell transplantation capable of having a thickness suitable for cell transplantation, preventing the necrosis of transplanted cells, and forming blood vessels in the transplantation site after transplantation. The present invention provides a cell construct for cell transplantation which comprises polymer blocks having biocompatibility and cells of at least one type, wherein the plural polymer blocks are arranged in spaces between the plural cells.

1 - 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A method for transplanting cells, which comprises transplanting a cell construct for cell transplantation which comprises polymer blocks of biodegradable material and cells of at least one type, wherein the plural polymer blocks are arranged in spaces between the plural cells, wherein the polymer blocks each have a size from 1 μm to 700 μm,
 the polymer blocks have surface irregularities obtained by pulverizing freeze-dried product which comprises the polymer, and 
 the cells are isolated cells which were grown in vitro. 
 
     
     
         21 . The method for transplanting cells according to  claim 20 , wherein the polymer having biocompatibility is polypeptide, polylactic acid, polyglycolic acid, PLGA, hyaluronic acid, glycosaminoglycan, proteoglycan, chondroitin, cellulose, agarose, carboxymethylcellulose, chitin, or chitosan. 
     
     
         22 . The method for transplanting cells according to  claim 20 , wherein the polymer having biocompatibility is a recombinant peptide. 
     
     
         23 . The method for transplanting cells according to  claim 20 , wherein the polymer having biocompatibility has two or more cell adhesion signals in a molecule. 
     
     
         24 . The method for transplanting cells according to  claim 22 , wherein the recombinant peptide is represented by the formula: A-[(Gly-X-Y) n ] m -B, wherein A represents any amino acid or amino acid sequence; B represents any amino acid or amino acid sequence; each X of total n independently represents any amino acid; each Y of total n independently represents any amino acid; n represents an integer of 3 to 100; m represents an integer of 2 to 10; and each Gly-X-Y of total n may be the same as or different from each other. 
     
     
         25 . The method for transplanting cells according to  claim 22 , wherein the recombinant peptide has (1) the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1, or (2) an amino acid sequence having 80% or higher homology to the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1 and having biocompatibility. 
     
     
         26 . The method for transplanting cells according to  claim 20 , wherein the cell construct further comprises an angiogenesis factor. 
     
     
         27 . The method for transplanting cells according to  claim 20 , wherein the cells are cells selected from the group consisting of pluripotent cells, somatic stem cells, precursor cells, and mature cells. 
     
     
         28 . The method for transplanting cells according to  claim 27 , wherein the cells comprise non-vascular cells. 
     
     
         29 . The method for transplanting cells according to  claim 28 , wherein the cells are only non-vascular cells. 
     
     
         30 . The method for transplanting cells according to  claim 28 , wherein the cells are of two or more types comprising both non-vascular cells and vascular cells. 
     
     
         31 . The method for transplanting cells according to  claim 30 , wherein the cell construct has a region wherein the area of the vascular cells in the central portion of the cell construct is larger than the area of the vascular cells in the peripheral portion,
 wherein the central portion of the cell construct refers to an area corresponding to a distance up to 80% from the center in the distance from the center to the surface of the cell construct, and the peripheral portion of the cell construct refers to an area from the position of 80% from the center to the surface of the construct.   
     
     
         32 . The method for transplanting cells according to  claim 31 , wherein the cell construct has a region wherein the ratio of the vascular cells in the central portion is 60% to 100% to the whole vascular cells in the implant. 
     
     
         33 . The method for transplanting cells according to  claim 30 , wherein the cell construct has a region wherein the density of the vascular cells in the central portion is 1.0×10 −4  cells/μm 3  or more.