Mitsubishi Chemical's Medical Thermoplastic Elastomer "Zelas™ TPS" Adopted for Sanplatec's Cell Culture Tubes

Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Manabu Tsukimoto; hereinafter "the Company") announces that its medical thermoplastic elastomer "Zelas™ TPS" has been adopted for cell culture tubes in the "iP-TEC®" series, a cell culture and transport solution for regenerative medicine developed by Sanplatec Corporation (Headquarters: Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture; President: Gakuji Kato; hereinafter "Sanplatec").

The product was exhibited at Sanplatec's booth during the "25th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society for Regenerative Medicine," held from March 19 (Thursday) to March 20 (Friday), 2026, at the Kobe International Conference Center and Kobe International Exhibition Hall.

The Company has accumulated advanced compounding technology for its medical compound resin Zelas™ over many years. Zelas™ TPS, a styrene-based thermoplastic elastomer, possesses excellent rubber elasticity and a proven track record in tubes for medical devices and pharmaceutical packaging. In the field of regenerative medicine, high-quality cell culture characteristics are required for iPS cells and mesenchymal stem cells, and Zelas™ TPS demonstrates superior iPS cell proliferation compared to PVC (polyvinyl chloride). In addition to its excellent culture characteristics, its functionality, such as compatibility with autoclave sterilization and gamma ray sterilization (25 kGy) and heat sealability, which are essential for building a closed cell culture system* with increasing demand, led to its adoption.

*Closed cell culture system: A system for culturing in a completely sealed container where culture medium can be exchanged through tubes connected to the container without opening and closing the container.

Sanplatec, as a leading company in the field of containers and devices for cell culture and live transport, provides integrated solutions from culture to transport. This time, Zelas™ TPS will be used as a material for TPE cell culture tubes and will be marketed under the "iP-TEC®" brand.

In its management vision "KAITEKI Vision 35," the Company lists "technologies and equipment required for new treatments" as one of its focus business areas. Moving forward, we will continue to advance the technological development of thermoplastic elastomers and accelerate the expansion of Zelas™ in the regenerative medicine field, thereby strengthening our contribution to the medical and life sciences fields.

For reference:

"Zelas™ TPS" Product Website

https://ppd-japan.mcgc.com/products/zelas_tps

Explanatory Article on This Matter

"Cell Culture Tube Selection Guide – Key Points for Material Selection Supporting the Future of Regenerative Medicine"

https://ppd-japan.mcgc.com/blog/cell-culture-tube

Contact for This Product

https://ppd-japan.mcgc.com/contact

Sanplatec iP-TEC® WEB Column (dated March 27, 2026)

https://iptec.sanplatec.co.jp/news/tpe-tubing-cell-culture/

Sanplatec iP-TEC® Brand Website

https://iptec.sanplatec.co.jp/