Anastomosis of endothelial sprouts forms new vessels in a tissue analogue of angiogenesis.
Here we describe a microfluidic device that accurately reproduces the dynamics of vascular anastomosis, the process by which vascular sprouts connect to achieve perfusion during angiogenesis. The micro-device features two parallel endothelial cell-lined vessel analogues separated by a 300 μm wide collagenous matrix into which the vessels can sprout and form perfused bridging connections. By accurately recapitulating anastomosis in vitro, the device will enable a new generation of studies of the mechanisms of angiogenesis and provide a novel and practical platform for drug screening.
Edwin L. Steele Laboratory for Tumour Biology, Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA.
Jonathan W
JW
Song
Despina
D
Bazou
Lance L
LL
Munn
D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical; D000818:Animals; D002196:Capillaries; D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes / Q000737:chemistry; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical / Q000379:methods; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000166:cytology; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000473:pathology*; D004867:Equipment Design; D061307:Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells; D006801:Humans; D008422:Materials Testing; D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques; D009024:Morphogenesis; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic; D010477:Perfusion; D051381:Rats; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism; D014945:Wound Healing
D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C013830:baysilon