Mitsui Chemicals has introduced InnoCell P-Type, a new adherent cell culture plate designed to enhance drug discovery research. This innovation combines the company’s oxygen-permeable material with surface treatment technology to improve cell adhesion.
The plate is specifically engineered to support organoids and other three-dimensional (3D) cell models, aiming to increase the accuracy and reproducibility of drug efficacy and toxicity testing. Drug discovery increasingly relies on models that better mimic human biology. As a result, 3D cultures are being used to study disease mechanisms, evaluate treatments, and advance personalized medicine.
Ensuring adequate oxygen supply to densely growing cells and thick tissues is a challenge in 3D cell culture. InnoCell P-Type addresses this issue by offering high oxygen permeability, low autofluorescence for improved imaging, and low drug adsorption to minimize interference with test compounds.
In a study at Kansai Medical University, Dr. Hidetoshi Masumoto used the plates to culture cardiac organoids derived from human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. The results showed more uniform tissue thickness and thicker tissues compared to conventional polystyrene plates. Dr. Masumoto noted that the findings suggest culture vessels with proper oxygen supply can aid in developing 3D cardiac tissue models.
At the University of Michigan Medical School, Dr. Jonny Sexton evaluated human intestinal organoid monolayers using InnoCell P-Type. The plates enabled a more sensitive and consistent assessment of epithelial barrier function, with improved barrier formation and responses to inflammatory stimulation. The low autofluorescence of the plates may also enhance high-content imaging and high-throughput screening of intestinal barrier function.
Toshihiko Omote, Mitsui Chemicals‘ board member and chief technology officer, stated that InnoCell P-Type builds on the company’s established technologies to improve culture environments in advanced biological research. They view the InnoCell series as essential research infrastructure, aiming to enhance the productivity and predictability of drug discovery. Mitsui Chemicals plans to continue developing life sciences applications using its core technologies.
Dr. Sexton highlighted that the combination of imaging performance and oxygen permeability in InnoCell P-Type could promote organoid maturation and functional development. This supports more representative 3D models for disease research, drug discovery, and regenerative medicine.
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