title: Environmental Influences on Endothelial to Mesenchymal Transition in Developing Implanted Cardiovascular Tissue-Engineered Grafts.
abstract: Tissue-engineered grafts for cardiovascular structures experience biochemical stimuli and mechanical forces that influence tissue development after implantation such as the immunological response, oxidative stress, hemodynamic shear stress, and mechanical strain. Endothelial cells are a cell source of major interest in vascular tissue engineering because of their ability to form a luminal antithrombotic monolayer. In addition, through their ability to undergo endothelial to mesenchymal transition (EndMT), endothelial cells may yield a cell type capable of increased production and remodeling of the extracellular matrix (ECM). ECM is of major importance to the mechanical function of all cardiovascular structures. Tissue engineering approaches may employ EndMT to recapitulate, in part, the embryonic development of cardiovascular structures. Improved understanding of how the environment of an implanted graft could influence EndMT in endothelial cells may lead to novel tissue engineering strategies. This review presents an overview of biochemical and mechanical stimuli capable of influencing EndMT, discusses the influence of these stimuli as found in the direct environment of cardiovascular grafts, and discusses approaches to employ EndMT in tissue-engineered constructs.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, University Medical Center Utrecht , Utrecht, The Netherlands .
authors.forename: Dimitri E P
authors.initials: DEP
authors.lastname: Muylaert
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, University Medical Center Utrecht , Utrecht, The Netherlands .
authors.forename: Olivier G
authors.initials: OG
authors.lastname: de Jong
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, University Medical Center Utrecht , Utrecht, The Netherlands .
authors.forename: Gisela G G
authors.initials: GGG
authors.lastname: Slaats
authors.affiliation: 2 Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology , Eindhoven, The Netherlands .
authors.forename: Frederieke E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Nieuweboer
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, University Medical Center Utrecht , Utrecht, The Netherlands .
authors.forename: Joost O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Fledderus
authors.affiliation: 3 Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Leiden University Medical Center , Leiden, The Netherlands .
authors.forename: Marie-Jose
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Goumans
authors.affiliation: 4 Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center , Leiden, The Netherlands .
authors.forename: Beerend P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Hierck
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, University Medical Center Utrecht , Utrecht, The Netherlands .
authors.forename: Marianne C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Verhaar