Cell sheet engineering for regenerative medicine: current challenges and strategies

Substantial progress made in the areas of stem cell research and regenerative medicine has provided a number of innovative methods to repair or regenerate defective tissues and organs. Although previous studies regarding regenerative medicine, especially those involving induced pluripotent stem cells, have been actively promoted in the past decade, there remain some challenges that need to be addressed in order to enable clinical applications. Designed for use in clinical applications, cell sheet engineering has been developed as a unique, scaffold-free method of cell processing utilizing temperature-responsive cell culture vessels. Clinical studies using cell sheets have shown positive outcomes and will be translated into clinical practice in the near future. However, several challenges stand in the way of the industrialization of cell sheet products and the widespread acceptance of regenerative medicine based on cell sheet engineering. This review describes current strategies geared towards the realization of the regenerative medicine approach.