title: Platelet lysate gel and endothelial progenitors stimulate microvascular network formation in vitro: tissue engineering implications.
abstract: Revascularisation is a key step for tissue regeneration and complete organ engineering. We describe the generation of human platelet lysate gel (hPLG), an extracellular matrix preparation from human platelets able to support the proliferation of endothelial colony forming cells (ECFCs) in 2D cultures and the formation of a complete microvascular network in vitro in 3D cultures. Existing extracellular matrix preparations require addition of high concentrations of recombinant growth factors and allow only limited formation of capillary-like structures. Additional advantages of our approach over existing extracellular matrices are the absence of any animal product in the composition hPLG and the possibility of obtaining hPLG from patients to generate homologous scaffolds for re-implantation. This discovery has the potential to accelerate the development of regenerative medicine applications based on implantation of microvascular networks expanded ex vivo or the generation of fully vascularised organs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Bath, Bath, UK.
authors.forename: Tiago M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Fortunato
authors.affiliation: Bristol Heart Institute, School of Clinical Sciences University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Beltrami
authors.affiliation: Bristol Heart Institute, School of Clinical Sciences University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Costanza
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Emanueli
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Bath, Bath, UK.
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: De Bank
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Bath, Bath, UK.
authors.forename: Giordano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pula