Engineering the human blood-brain barrier at the capillary scale using a double-templating technique.

ABSTRACT: In vitro blood-brain barrier (BBB) models have played an important role in studying processes such as immune cell trafficking and drug delivery, as well as contributing to the understanding of mechanisms of disease progression. Many biological and pathological processes in the cerebrovasculature occur in capillaries and hence the lack of robust hierarchical models at the capillary scale is a major roadblock in BBB research. Here we report on a double-templating technique for engineering hierarchical BBB models with physiological barrier function at the capillary scale. We first demonstrate the formation of hierarchical vascular networks using human umbilical vein endothelial cells. We then characterize barrier function in a BBB model using brain microvascular endothelial-like cells

SUBMITTER: Zhao N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9610437 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature