【Major Papers of the Laboratory】
・Pasanen S, Abe F, Karina Erda Saninggar, Hirata I, Tanimoto K, Kato K. Enhanced expansion of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells on collagen-coated microcarriers functionalized with chimeric IGF-1–bFGF proteins. ACS Omega, Epub ahead of print (2026)
・Matsuyama T, Pasanen S, Futami F, Kato A, Hirata I, Yanamoto S, Kato K. Enhanced infiltration of myoblasts into collagen scaffolds loaded with engineered basic fibroblast growth factor. Dent. Mater. J., 44:282–288 (2025)
・Karina Erda Saninggar, Abe F, Nakano A, Kato K. Collagen-binding bone morphogenetic protein-2 designed for use in bone tissue engineering. Dent. Mater. J. 43:718–728 (2024)

【Education】
The Department of Biomaterials provides lectures and practical training in fundamental and applied dental materials for undergraduate students. For students in the Couse for Frontier Dental Science and the Graduate School of Biomedical & Health Sciences, we organize advanced seminars to provide an opportunity to gain knowledge on the latest biomaterials and devices for use in regenerative medicine and dentistry.

【Research】
Stem cell–based regenerative medicine holds great promise for repairing tissues and organs damaged by disease or traumatic injury. However, broader clinical translation remains limited by technical challenges in cell processing, culture, and transplantation. Our research focuses on developing innovative biomaterials and biodevices to enhance stem cell function and improve transplantation efficiency. By integrating advanced bioengineering approaches, we aim to accelerate the practical application of regenerative medicine and contribute to the development of next-generation therapeutic strategies. Specifically, our research includes:

1) Bioreactors for stem cell culture and engineered growth factors
2) Biodevices for stem cell quality control using antibody microarrays
3) Optimization of cellular microenvironments through materials informatics
4) Fabrication of tissue engineering scaffolds using engineered proteins