Hyaluronic Acid hydrogels support cord-like structures from endothelial colony-forming cells.

ABSTRACT: The generation of functional vascular networks has the potential to improve treatment for vascular diseases and to facilitate successful organ transplantation. Endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs) have robust proliferative potential and can form vascular networks in vivo. ECFCs are recruited from a bone marrow niche to the site of vascularization, where cues from the extracellular matrix instigate vascular morphogenesis. Although this process has been elucidated using natural matrix, little is known about vascular morphogenesis by ECFCs in synthetic matrix, a xeno-free scaffold that can provide a more controllable and clinically relevant alternative for regenerative medicine. We sought to study hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogels as three-dimensional scaffolds for capillary-like structure f

SUBMITTER: Yee D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3079171 | biostudies-literature | 2011 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature