title: Microengineering in cardiovascular research: new developments and translational applications.
abstract: Microfluidic, cellular co-cultures that approximate macro-scale biology are important tools for refining the in vitro study of organ-level function and disease. In recent years, advances in technical fabrication and biological integration have provided new insights into biological phenomena, improved diagnostic measurements, and made major steps towards de novo tissue creation. Here we review applications of these technologies specific to the cardiovascular field, emphasizing three general categories of use: reductionist vascular models, tissue-engineered vascular models, and point-of-care diagnostics. With continued progress in the ability to purposefully control microscale environments, the detailed study of both primary and cultured cells may find new relevance in the general cardiovascular research community.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
authors.forename: Juliana M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: Center for Engineering in Medicine and Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, USA.
authors.forename: Keith H K
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research Institute, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Arthur Mark
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Richards
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research Institute, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore mdccld@nus.edu.sg.
authors.forename: Chester L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Drum
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002319:Cardiovascular System / Q000166:cytology*; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D044085:Microfluidics; D023421:Models, Animal; D008954:Models, Biological; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000639:trends*; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical / Q000639:trends*
keywords: Microengineering; microfluidics; point-of-care diagnostics; three-dimensional cell culture; vascular models