title: Coculture Assays for Endothelial Cells-Mural Cells Interactions.
abstract: Coculture assays allow the investigation of the role of endothelial cell and mural cell interactions in small vessel development and function. Different setups for coculture can be used to assay questions of interest. We include here methods for direct coculture, indirect coculture, and coculture in a three-dimensional extracellular matrix scaffold for studies of either a simple and direct association between the two cell types, the exchange of soluble molecules, or the interaction within a biomimetic tissue microenvironment.
authors.affiliation: Schepens Eye Research Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. Patricia_DAmore@meei.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Diana M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Palencia
authors.affiliation: Schepens Eye Research Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bigger-Allen
authors.affiliation: Schepens Eye Research Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Magali
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saint-Geniez
authors.affiliation: Schepens Eye Research Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Joseph F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Arboleda-Velásquez
authors.affiliation: Schepens Eye Research Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Patricia A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: D'Amore
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018920:Coculture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D006801:Humans; D007422:Intestines / Q000166:cytology; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000166:cytology*; D020286:Pericytes / Q000166:cytology*; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology; D013552:Swine; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds
keywords: Angiogenesis; Coculture; Endothelial cells; Intercellular interactions; Juxtacrine; Matrigel; Microvessels; Paracrine; Pericytes; Small intestinal submucosa