A 3D Real-Scale, Biomimetic, and Biohybrid Model of the Blood-Brain Barrier Fabricated through Two-Photon Lithography.

ABSTRACT: The investigation of the crossing of exogenous substances through the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is object of intensive research in biomedicine, and one of the main obstacles for reliable in vitro evaluations is represented by the difficulties at the base of developing realistic models of the barrier, which could resemble as most accurately as possible the in vivo environment. Here, for the first time, a 1:1 scale, biomimetic, and biohybrid BBB model is proposed. Microtubes inspired to the brain capillaries were fabricated through two-photon lithography and used as scaffolds for the co-culturing of endothelial-like bEnd.3 and U87 glioblastoma cells. The constructs show the maturation of tight junctions, good performances in terms of hindering dextran diffusion through the barrier, and a sat

SUBMITTER: Marino A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6715446 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature