1. Engineered Microvessels for the Study of Human Disease
- Author
-
Samuel G. Rayner and Ying Zheng
- Subjects
0301 basic medicine ,Biomedical Engineering ,Neovascularization, Physiologic ,Organ function ,Review Article ,02 engineering and technology ,Biology ,03 medical and health sciences ,Organ Culture Techniques ,Human disease ,Physiology (medical) ,Animals ,Humans ,Small caliber ,Tissue Engineering ,Tissue Scaffolds ,Continuous flow ,Vascular biology ,Endothelial Cells ,Equipment Design ,Human physiology ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,Equipment Failure Analysis ,030104 developmental biology ,Cardiovascular Diseases ,Microvessels ,0210 nano-technology ,Neuroscience ,Biomedical engineering - Abstract
The microvasculature is an extensive, heterogeneous, and complex system that plays a critical role in human physiology and disease. It nourishes almost all living human cells and maintains a local microenvironment that is vital for tissue and organ function. Operating under a state of continuous flow, with an intricate architecture despite its small caliber, and subject to a multitude of biophysical and biochemical stimuli, the microvasculature can be a complex subject to study in the laboratory setting. Engineered microvessels provide an ideal platform that recapitulates essential elements of in vivo physiology and allows study of the microvasculature in a precise and reproducible way. Here, we review relevant structural and functional vascular biology, discuss different methods to engineer microvessels, and explore the applications of this exciting tool for the study of human disease.
- Published
- 2016
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