New Flexible Material Boosts Stem‑Cell Culture Tubes

Mitsubishi Chemical has launched a new thermoplastic elastomer that will be used inside the cell‑culture tubes of Sanplatec’s regenerative medicine kit. The material, called Zelas TPS, offers a rubber‑like softness while remaining chemically stable for medical use. Sanplatec’s iP‑TEC line, which moves stem cells from the lab to patients without opening containers, will now use this new tube. The partnership was announced during a regenerative‑medicine conference in Kobe last month. Zelas TPS is built from styrene and behaves like a flexible rubber. It has already proven useful in drug packaging and medical tubing, but this is the first time it appears inside a cell‑culture system. Tests show that stem cells grow better in these tubes than in the standard PVC ones, a key advantage for therapies that rely on large numbers of cells.

The company also pointed out that the new material can survive common sterilisation steps, such as autoclaving and high‑dose gamma radiation. It can also be heat‑sealed, which keeps the system closed while still letting nutrients pass through connected lines. Sanplatec will integrate the material into all parts of its iP‑TEC workflow, from culturing to delivery. The move is part of Mitsubishi Chemical’s broader push into medical and life‑science products under its KAITEKI Vision 35 strategy. The firm plans to keep adding new elastomers for use in regenerative medicine and other health‑care tools.

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