Development of on-chip vascular model utilizing the self-organizing ability: reconstitution-based understanding of vascular physiology and pathology

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26670394
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Cardiovascular medicine
• Research Institution: Kumamoto University
• Principal Investigator: Nishiyama Koichi 熊本大学, 医学部附属病院, 講師 (80398221)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): MIURA Takashi 九州大学, 大学院医学系研究院, 教授 (10324617) ; YOKOKAWA Ryuji 京都大学, 大学院工学系研究科, 准教授 (10411216)
• Research Collaborator: MATSUBARA Akira ; KUNITA Itsuki
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 血管新生 / 微小流体デバイス / 自己組織化 / 再構成 / 血流

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we developed a fundamental technology, which enables to reconstiute the long-term-perfusable vascualr network on a microfluidic device via angiogenesis. Using either human or murine primary cells, we succeeded to reconstruct the vascualr strucutre that approsimates in vivo, in which endothelial sprouts were properly covered with perivascular pericytes and have a lumen structure. Furthermore, the reconstructed vasculature was perfusable with the culture media at a perfusion speed, corresponding to capillary blood flow, over a week. In addition, we established an imaging and quatitative analysis system for understanding of cellular angiogenic mechanisms. Using the on-chip angiogenic model, we identified intraluinal pressure to be one of the potential negative regulators of endothelial cell-driven aniogenesis.

Free Research Field

血管生物医学