Small vessels fully lined with endothelial cells can be used to study circulatory diseases

Mandy B. Esch, David J. Post, Michael L. Shuler, Tracy Stokol, Characterization of Small Diameter In Vitro Endothelial Linings of the Microvasculature. Tissue Engineering A, 2011, 17, 2965-2971

In this paper we present ultra-small microfluidic vessels (50 x 50 µm in cross section) that are fully lined with endothelial cells. We used confocal imaging to create 3D views, confirming that not only the top and bottom walls of the channels are fully lined with cells, but also the sidewalls. Fully established barrier functions are necessary in order to use the vessels for drug uptake studies. In addition, control over the barrier function is necessary for studies that aim to find the cause of circulating tumor cells attachment to the endothelium.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email