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Human Disease Model to Study Vascular Healing of Coronary Arteries

Friday, 8 July 2016 at 15:30

Add to Calendar ▼2016-07-08 15:30:002016-07-08 16:30:00Europe/LondonHuman Disease Model to Study Vascular Healing of Coronary ArteriesSELECTBIOenquiries@selectbiosciences.com

Cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in the world, is often treated by drug eluting stents (DES) to re-open blocked arteries. However, stents damage the artery wall leading to scar formation and delayed healing. Goal: To develop an in vitro model of diseased arterial wall allowing serial and longitudinal in vitro screening of new treatment modalities. Approach: The device consists of two parallel microfluidic channels separated by a thin porous polymeric membrane. Endothelium is grown on one side and smooth muscle cells contralateral. Once the endothelium is confluent and the thickness of the smooth muscle cell layer resembles a thin fibrous cap (65 micrometer), a wound is created by laser ablation and DES treatment is mimicked. Then, using time-lapse confocal microscopy, endothelial and smooth muscle cell responses are revealed. Results: A thorough analysis is presented on the development of the fibrous cap inside the microfluidic device and it is shown how the thickness of the smooth muscle layer increases in time over a period of 28 days. Then, it is shown how to create a wound of controlled size and shape in the endothelium and how the endothelial and smooth muscle cells repair the wounded area.