Yuki Monden won Outstanding Presentation Award at the symposium of Japanese Society for Medical and Biological Engineering for young researchers in Kanto 2013

Yuki Monden, a senior student at a Department of Precision Engineering, got the Outstanding Presentation Awardat the symposium of Japanese Society for Medical and Biological Engineering for young researchers in Kanto 2013.

<About awarded research>

Recently there have been some reports that suggests that shock wave is associated with fast recovery on cell transplant. Since shock wave therapy has the advantage of less-invasion and less-cost, the application of shock waves to soft tissues in our bodies is anticipated. The mechanism of these therapeutic effects, however, is still unknown mainly due to the complexity of shock wave behavior in soft tissues. Although a precise basic study to reveal this mechanism is required for the practical clinical application, it does not well progressed because there do not exist suitable shock wave generators for basic studies. 
In this study, we developed the unique shock wave generator for basic study using cultured cells, and investigated cell-cell dissociation induced by shock wave. As a result, shock wave could break intercellular adhesion and the gaps between cells created by shock wave closed after a while. Also, it was suggested that there was a shock wave pressure threshold for separation of the cells. This result shows the possibility that gaps between cells caused by shock wave would improve the efficiency of nutrient transportation from blood capillary to graft cells and this improved fixation rate of graft. Also, the threshold of shock wave pressure would be a significant knowledge for the establishment of less-invasive shock wave therapy on soft tissue by focusing the shock wave pressure in our body and getting regional therapeutic effect. 

<Comments>

It is a great honor for me to receive this award. I wish to express my deep appreciation to Professor Ichiro Sakuma, Professor Takashi Ushida, Associate Professor Etsuko Kobayashi for their enthusiastic instructions of this research. This award will be a great encouragement for me to carry on this research to establish the shock wave therapy on soft tissues.