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Updated: May 10, 2026
A Human 3D Extracellular Matrix-Adipocyte Culture Model for Studying Matrix-Cell Metabolic Crosstalk
Published on: November 7, 2019
A biomimetic physiological model for human adipose tissue by adipocytes and endothelial cell cocultures with
Rui Yao1, Yanan Du, Renji Zhang
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, People's Republic of China. yaorui@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn
Abstract:
An in vitro model that recapitulates the characteristics of native human adipose tissue would largely benefit pathology studies and therapy development. In this paper, we fabricated a physiological model composed of both human adipocytes and endothelial cells with spatially controlled distribution that biomimics the structure and composition of human adipose tissue. Detailed studies into the cell-cell interactions between the adipocytes and endothelial cells revealed a mutual-enhanced effect which resembles the in vivo routine. Furthermore, comparisons between planar coculture and model coculture demonstrated improved adipocyte function as well as endothelial cell proliferation under the same conditions. This research provided a reliable model for human adipose tissue development studies and potential obesity-related therapy development.
