Review
Developmental Biology
Arndt F. Siekmann
Summary: This review discusses the functions of vascular mural cells in blood vessel formation and diameter regulation, as well as their interactions with endothelial cells. It also introduces the signaling pathways controlling mural cell development and highlights distinguishing features of mural cells located on different types of blood vessels. Therapeutic strategies involving mural cells to improve tissue ischemia and vascular efficiency in various diseases are explored.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Lei Tong, Robert A. Hill, Eyiyemisi C. Damisah, Katie N. Murray, Peng Yuan, Angelique Bordey, Jaime Grutzendler
Summary: This protocol outlines tools and procedures for intravital labeling, in vivo calcium imaging, and optogenetics to study mural cells in brain blood vessels. These tools allow for investigation of the physiological and pathophysiological roles of mural cells in various disease models, revealing functional and structural heterogeneity.
Article
Peripheral Vascular Disease
Daniela Carnevale, Lorenzo Carnevale, Sara Perrotta, Fabio Pallante, Agnese Migliaccio, Daniele Iodice, Marialuisa Perrotta, Giuseppe Lembo
Summary: Chronic exposure to high blood pressure leads to vascular remodeling, dysfunction, and inflammation through the interaction between vascular and immune cells. Establishing a reliable experimental model of the vascular-immune interface is crucial for developing effective therapies.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Roberta Lugano, Kalyani Vemuri, Stefano Barbera, Maurizio Orlandini, Elisabetta Dejana, Lena Claesson-Welsh, Anna Dimberg
Summary: CD93 regulates the stability of VE-cadherin at endothelial junctions by interacting with VE-cadherin and limiting its phosphorylation and turnover. CD93 deficiency leads to increased phosphorylation of VE-cadherin, displacing it from endothelial cell-cell contacts and disrupting endothelial junctions, resulting in enhanced blood-brain barrier permeability. This mechanism is regulated through the Rho/Rho kinase-dependent pathway.
Article
Developmental Biology
Elvin Leonard, Ricardo J. Figueroa, Jeroen Bussmann, Nathan D. Lawson, Julio D. Amigo, Arndt F. Siekmann
Summary: The study reveals the important role of Pdgfrb signaling in mural cell recruitment and arterial development. Mural cells have different expression characteristics and origins in different locations. Moreover, newly formed mural cells during tissue regeneration do not derive from pre-existing cells.
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Hiroshi Oue, Yu Yamazaki, Wenhui Qiao, Chen Yuanxin, Yingxue Ren, Aishe Kurti, Francis Shue, Tammee M. Parsons, Ralph B. Perkerson, Keiji Kawatani, Ni Wang, Skylar C. Starling, Bhaskar Roy, Ioana-Emilia Mosneag, Tomonori Aikawa, Marie-Louise Holm, Chia-Chen Liu, Yasuteru Inoue, Patrick M. Sullivan, Yan W. Asmann, Betty Y. S. Kim, Guojun Bu, Takahisa Kanekiyo
Summary: Cerebrovasculature is crucial for brain homeostasis and dysregulation can lead to vascular cognitive impairment and dementia. APOE4 is a risk factor for both Alzheimer's disease and VCID. This study found that deficiency of vascular mural cell LRP1 affects cerebrovascular integrity and function in an APOE genotype-dependent manner.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Patrick Doemer, Janine Kayal, Ulrike Janssen-Bienhold, Bettina Kewitz, Thomas Kretschmer, Christian Heinen
Summary: A novel and efficient protocol for isolating endothelial cells from human peripheral nerves was established, achieving >95% purity. The isolated ECs expressed highly specific EC marker proteins and showed functional properties, demonstrating potential applications in human blood-nerve-barrier research and peripheral nerve regeneration.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Xianming Zhang, Hua Jin, Xiaojia Huang, Birendra Chaurasiya, Daoyin Dong, Thomas P. Shanley, You-Yang Zhao
Summary: A newly developed nanoparticle-based delivery system has shown high efficiency in genome editing of vascular endothelial cells. This system can selectively decrease protein expression by 80%, achieving a phenotype similar to genetic knockout mice. Furthermore, it has the capability to edit multiple genes or perform both genome editing and transgene expression simultaneously, making it a powerful tool for gene therapy and cardiovascular research.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Thomas Brock, Elisabeth Boudriot, Anke Klawitter, Marianne Grosser, Trang T. P. Nguyen, Sindy Giebe, Erik Klapproth, Achim Temme, Ali El-Armouche, Georg Breier
Summary: VE-cadherin enhances the adhesion of breast cancer cells to endothelial cells but does not affect their transmigration, indicating that cancer cell adhesion and incorporation are distinct processes governed by different molecular mechanisms.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Ying Hou, Yajing Zheng, Xiaonan Zheng, Yucheng Sun, Xizhen Yi, Zengnan Wu, Jin-Ming Lin
Summary: A method combining cell membrane engineering and droplet microfluidic techniques is designed to fabricate multicellular tumor spheroids (MCTSs) with uniform size and composition. The method allows for artificial cell aggregation and fabrication of spheroids within alginate microcapsules. It is applicable for various cancer cell lines and allows for the production of composite cancer spheroids with predetermined cell ratios and uniform distributions. The generated MCTSs are assessed using ELISA and UPLC-MS/MS techniques, revealing differences in vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) release and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) resistance in monotypic and cocultured colon cancer models.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Taylor Bertucci, Shravani Kakarla, Max A. Winkelman, Keith Lane, Katherine Stevens, Steven Lotz, Alexander Grath, Daylon James, Sally Temple, Guohao Dai
Summary: A simple vascular differentiation protocol was developed for human pluripotent stem cells to generate endothelial cells, pericytes, and smooth muscle cells simultaneously. When applied in a 3D hydrogel, this protocol recapitulates the early human vessel formation process, including the acquisition of distinct arterial and venous fates, resulting in a vascular development model. This model, called the vasculogenesis angiogenesis model plexus (VAMP), captures the major stages of vasculogenesis, angiogenesis, and vascular network formation, providing a simple, rapid, and scalable in vitro model for studying early human vascular development.
APL BIOENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hemant Giri, Sumith R. Panicker, Xiaofeng Cai, Indranil Biswas, Hartmut Weiler, Alireza R. Rezaie
Summary: Deletion of TM in endothelial cells leads to increased basal permeability, enhanced tyrosine phosphorylation of VE-cadherin, reduced F-actin filament polymerization, increased NF-kappa B signaling, expression of inflammatory cell adhesion molecules, von Willebrand factor levels, storage, and release. Reexpression of TM construct normalized the cellular phenotype, suggesting cell-bound TM regulates expression of procoagulant, proinflammatory, and angiogenic molecules in vascular endothelial cells.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
C. Kent-Dennis, G. B. Penner
Summary: The study investigated the effects of LPS on the metabolism of short-chain fatty acids by primary ruminal epithelial cells (REC) and the impact of media containing short-chain fatty acids on the proinflammatory response. The results showed changes in cellular processes such as nutrient absorption, gene expression, and glucose metabolism when REC were exposed to LPS. Additionally, altered expression of specific genes and proteins associated with inflammation and metabolism was observed in response to LPS exposure and different media compositions.
JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Edit Gara, Eleonora Zucchelli, Annamaria Nemes, Zoltan Jakus, Kitti Ajtay, Eva Kemecsei, Gabor Kiszler, Nikolett Hegedus, Krisztian Szigeti, Ivan Foldes, Kristof Arvai, Janos Kosa, Kraszimir Kolev, Erzsebet Komorowicz, Parasuraman Padmanabhan, Pal Maurovich-Horvat, Edit Dosa, Gyorgy Varady, Miklos Polos, Istvan Hartyanszky, Sian E. Harding, Bela Merkely, Domokos Mathe, Gabor Szabo, Tamas Radovits, Gabor Foldes
Summary: This study demonstrates that the combination of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived endothelial cells (hPSC-EC) and biomatrices has the potential to repair ischemic tissues by reconstructing vascular structures and functions. In vitro and in vivo experiments showed that these cells can develop beneficial properties such as antifibrotic, vasoactive and anti-inflammatory effects during recellularization.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Rina Hashimoto, Junya Takahashi, Keisuke Shirakura, Risa Funatsu, Kaori Kosugi, Sayaka Deguchi, Masaki Yamamoto, Yugo Tsunoda, Maaya Morita, Kosuke Muraoka, Masato Tanaka, Tomoaki Kanbara, Shota Tanaka, Shigeyuki Tamiya, Nagisa Tokunoh, Atsushi Kawai, Masahito Ikawa, Chikako Ono, Keisuke Tachibana, Masuo Kondoh, Masanori Obana, Yoshiharu Matsuura, Akihiro Ohsumi, Takeshi Noda, Takuya Yamamoto, Yasuo Yoshioka, Yu-Suke Torisawa, Hiroshi Date, Yasushi Fujio, Miki Nagao, Kazuo Takayama, Yoshiaki Okada
Summary: This study found that SARS-CoV-2 decreases the expression of Claudin-5 (CLDN5), a tight junction protein, and disrupts vascular endothelial cadherin-mediated adherens junctions, thereby leading to the disruption of the endothelial barrier in respiratory organs. The down-regulation of CLDN5 expression was observed in the lungs of a COVID-19 patient. The overexpression of CLDN5 or treatment with Fluvastatin rescued the SARS-CoV-2-induced respiratory endothelial barrier disruption. Inducing CLDN5 expression is identified as a therapeutic strategy against COVID-19.
Article
Cell Biology
Juliann B. Tefft, Jennifer L. Bays, Alex Lammers, Sudong Kim, Jeroen Eyckmans, Christopher S. Chen
Summary: The interplay between NOTCH1 and NOTCH3 is crucial for pericyte-induced vascular stabilization, as both components are required for the proper formation and function of the endothelium.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-CELL PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Christina Conrad, Kaitlin Moore, William Polacheck, Imran Rizvi, Giuliano Scarcelli
Summary: The study utilized perfusion models to mimic the pathology of ovarian cancer and investigated the impact of mechanical stress on cancer progression. The mechanical properties of cancer cells were analyzed using Brillouin confocal microscopy within a perfusion chamber. Results showed a significantly lower longitudinal modulus in ovarian cancer nodules under long-term continuous flow.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Gi-hun Lee, Stephanie A. Huang, Wen Y. Aw, Mitesh L. Rathod, Crescentia Cho, Frances S. Ligler, William J. Polacheck
Summary: This study introduces a multi-layer microfluidic platform that enables the culture of engineered blood and lymphatic microvessels, with independent control of blood, lymphatic, and interstitial fluid pressures. By measuring fluid velocity for applied input pressures, varying rates of interstitial fluid flow as a function of blood, lymphatic, and interstitial pressure are demonstrated.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Christos Michas, M. Cagatay Karakan, Pranjal Nautiyal, Jonathan G. Seidman, Christine E. Seidman, Arvind Agarwal, Kamil Ekinci, Jeroen Eyckmans, Alice E. White, Christopher S. Chen
Summary: Researchers have successfully utilized high-precision fabrication techniques to create scaffolds and microfluidic valves for a simulated model of the heart. By mimicking organ-level cardiac mechanical function at small scales, they have demonstrated the significance of high-precision fabrication in tissue model studies.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Arnav Chhabra, H-H Greco Song, Katarzyna A. Grzelak, William J. Polacheck, Heather E. Fleming, Christopher S. Chen, Sangeeta N. Bhatia
Summary: This study developed a 3D platform for modeling human liver regeneration and found that endothelial cell secretion and cytokine stimulation can promote hepatocyte proliferation.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Shoshana L. Das, Bryan P. Sutherland, Emma Lejeune, Jeroen Eyckmans, Christopher S. Chen
Summary: In this study, an in vitro cardiac microtissue injury system was developed to mimic the regional responses seen after myocardial infarction. The injured region showed a complete loss of contractile function, while the uninjured regions exhibited elevated contractile function, compensating for the loss of function in the injured region. This work provides a new in vitro model for studying cardiac tissue remodeling and electromechanical changes after injury.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-HEART AND CIRCULATORY PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Huate Li, Subramanian Sundaram, Ruifeng Hu, Lihua Lou, Francisco Sanchez, William McDonald, Arvind Agarwal, Christopher S. Chen, Thomas G. Bifano
Summary: Controlling the boundary conditions of engineered heart tissues (EHTs) in real-time allows for dynamic regulation of their contractile force. This capacity provides a new approach to study heart disease and drug toxicity screening, as well as probe tissue mechanics.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Editorial Material
Biophysics
Jeroen Eyckmans
BIOPHYSICAL JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jarrod Moore, Jourdan Ewoldt, Gabriela Venturini, Alexandre C. C. Pereira, Kallyandra Padilha, Matthew Lawton, Weiwei Lin, Raghuveera Goel, Ivan Luptak, Valentina Perissi, Christine E. E. Seidman, Jonathan Seidman, Michael T. T. Chin, Christopher Chen, Andrew Emili
Summary: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a common inherited heart disease, can lead to sudden cardiac death in young adults. In this study, we used an integrated multi-omics analysis to investigate the effects of myosin heavy chain mutations on human pluripotent stem-cell-derived cardiomyocytes and patient samples. Our findings shed light on the early molecular mechanisms involved in mitochondrial homeostasis and metabolic dysfunction, providing insights into the initial responses to mutations before the onset of contractile dysfunction and overt disease.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Marshall S. Ma, Subramanian Sundaram, Lihua Lou, Arvind Agarwal, Christopher S. Chen, Thomas G. Bifano
Summary: Three dimensional engineered cardiac tissues (3D ECTs) are crucial in vitro models for assessing drug cardiotoxicity, but the low throughput of current assays limits their efficiency. To overcome this limitation, an innovative mosaic imaging system was developed to measure contractile force of 3D ECTs seeded on a 96-well plate, increasing throughput to 96 samples per measurement.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Megan Griebel, Anish Vasan, Christopher Chen, Jeroen Eyckmans
Summary: Although the mechanisms of wound healing are similar across different types of wounds, the method of injury can impact the healing process. For example, burn wounds are more prone to developing hypertrophic scars compared to lacerations, possibly due to the greater damage that needs to be repaired. While immune cells are known to play a role in tissue clearance, the contribution of fibroblasts in this process remains unclear.
APL BIOENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Matthew J. White, Kyle A. Jacobs, Tania Singh, Lakyn N. Mayo, Annie Lin, Christopher S. Chen, Young-wook Jun, Matthew L. Kutys
Summary: This study uses a 3D model to demonstrate that Notch1 influences epithelial morphogenesis through a mechanism independent of transcriptional signaling. Notch1 cortical signaling directly regulates epithelial cell architecture and proliferation by stabilizing adherens junctions and cortical actin. These findings provide new insights into Notch1 signaling and regulation and suggest a coordination between transcriptional and cell adhesive programs.
JOURNAL OF CELL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Marc A. Fernandez-Yague, Dennis Zhou, Ellijah Holland, Jeroen Eyckman, Jiamping Fu, Christopher Chen, David Schlaepfer, Andres J. Garcia
TISSUE ENGINEERING PART A
(2022)