Plasmodium falciparum impairs Ang-1 secretion by pericytes in a 3D brain microvessel model

ABSTRACT: Disruption of the vascular protective angiopoietin-Tie axis is common in cerebral malaria (CM) patients, who display elevated angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) and reduced angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1) blood concentrations. The role of pericytes in CM pathogenesis remains unexplored, despite being a major source of brain Ang-1 secretion and evidence of pericyte damage observed in CM postmortem samples. Here we engineered a human 3D microfluidics-based brain microvessel model containing the minimal cellular components to replicate the angiopoietin-Tie axis, human primary brain microvascular endothelial cells and pericytes. This model replicated pericyte vessel coverage and ultrastructural interactions present in the brain microvasculature. When exposed to P. falciparum-iRBC egress products, 3D brain microves

SUBMITTER: Rory, KM Long 

PROVIDER: S-SCDT-10_1038-S44321-025-00319-Y | biostudies-other |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other