Vessel-On-A-Chip Model Development Service

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Here at Creative Biolabs, our multifunctional vessel-on-a-chip and fabrication platform can reproduce the physiological and pathological characteristics of blood vessels in a simple and well-controlled manner, and the vessel-on-a-chip microfluidic platform will be a powerful tool in the field of vascular-related diseases.

Microenvironment and Key Features of the Vascular System

The human vascular system is an important system that connects the organs of the whole body and realizes the circulation of nutrients and gases. A healthy vascular system has a well-defined hierarchy, with arteries, arterioles, capillaries, venules, and veins forming an evenly distributed network of tissues. Through angioblast differentiation or direct recruitment from the bone marrow, endothelial cells form a capillary-like primary network and complete vessel expansion and sprouting through processes of proliferation, growth and tube formation. This process demonstrates the critical role of vascular endothelial cells in both macroscopic and microscopic blood vessels. In larger vascular structures, a monolayer of endothelial cells is surrounded by smooth muscle cells and an extracellular matrix (ECM) composed of elastin and collagen, as well as various signaling molecules, growth factors, and adhesion proteins to maintain the homeostasis of the internal environment.

The structure and microenvironment of blood vessels. Fig 1. The structure and microenvironment of blood vessels. (Haase, 2017)

Typical Vessel-On-A-Chip Model

The lack of visualization of vascular growth in animal models and the fact that various parameters cannot be controlled limit the exploration of vascular physiology, making rational in vitro models a more attractive alternative. Our transwell chip will be a simple but practical alternative to vascular endothelial cell culture. This design uses permeability as a measure of microvascular function and is an effective way to reproduce the function of individual blood vessels under normal and pathological conditions. Hemodynamics is a key driver of blood vessel formation, and precise control of fluid shear forces is one of the strengths of microfluidic chips. Our bilayer microchannel system combined with membrane filter inserts to create porous planes, while recapitulating vascular barrier morphology, enables the simulation of fluid shear stress without the need for cumbersome perfusion equipment.

Human iPSCs can be induced to generate blood vessels in vessel-on-a-chip models. Fig 2. Human iPSCs can be induced to generate blood vessels in vessel-on-a-chip models. (Cuenca, 2021)

Advanced Vessel-On-A-Chip Model

The development of microfluidic technology and the advancement of microfabrication platforms have allowed more design options for vascular chips, and the patterning process of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) has endowed microfluidic chips with the ability to produce well-defined microscale geometries. In addition to simple single-channel chips, Creative Biolabs also provides randomly patterned microvascular chips that form stable and reproducible microvascular networks. The complex number of branches and extended vessel lengths ensure high-quality networks grown in vitro. The introduction of shear flow can help you further explore mechanosensitive responses in vascular networks. We also customize channels with specific geometric shapes and orientations for our clients through soft lithography. Customized chips can help you explore the functions of vascular tissues in physiological or pathological states according to your exact experimental needs.

Depending on the research focus, vessel-on-a-chips often adopt different design patterns. Fig 3. Depending on the research focus, vessel-on-a-chips often adopt different design patterns. (Mandrycky, 2021)

Our Services

With histological knowledge and advanced precision processing platform, Creative Biolabs provides our clients with vessel-on-a-chip models that summarize the function, structure and composition of microcirculatory vessels under well-controlled conditions. You may choose a simple but powerful experimental chip or a complex vascular network system to accurately replicate human physiology. It is also feasible to customize patterns for specific disease modeling and tissue regeneration. Our vessel-on-a-chip models have proven to be a reliable and useful addition to in vivo studies of microvascular physiology and function, so don’t hesitate to contact us for more information.

References

  1. Raase, K.; et al. Advances in on-chip vascularization. Regenerative Medicine. 2017, 12(3): 285-302.
  2. Cuenca, M.V.; et al. Engineered 3D vessel-on-chip using hiPSC-derived endothelial- and vascular smooth muscle cells. Stem Cell Report. 2021, 16: 2159-2168.
  3. Mandrycky, C.J.; et al. Organ-on-a-chip systems for vascular biology. J Mol Cell Cardiol. 2021, 159: 1-13.

For Research Use Only. Not For Clinical Use.

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