SARS-CoV-2 spike protein induces endothelial dysfunction in 3D engineered vascular networks.

ABSTRACT: With new daily discoveries about the long-term impacts of COVID-19, there is a clear need to develop in vitro models that can be used to better understand the pathogenicity and impact of COVID-19. Here, we demonstrate the utility of developing a model of endothelial dysfunction that utilizes human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived endothelial progenitors encapsulated in collagen hydrogels to study the effects of COVID-19 on the endothelium. These cells form capillary-like vasculature within 1 week after encapsulation and treating these cell-laden hydrogels with SARS-CoV-2 spike protein resulted in a significant decrease in the number of vessel-forming cells as well as vessel network connectivity quantified by our computational pipeline. This vascular dysfunction is a unique phenomenon

SUBMITTER: Stern B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10560313 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature