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Updated: May 5, 2026
Quantitative Analysis and Characterization of Atherosclerotic Lesions in the Murine Aortic Sinus
Published on: December 7, 2013
Biomimicking Atherosclerotic Vessels: A Relevant and (Yet) Sub-Explored Topic
Joana Henriques1, Ana M Amaro1, Ana P Piedade1
1University of Coimbra, CEMMPRE, ARISE, Department of Mechanical Engineering, 3030-788 Coimbra, Portugal.
Insights
Biomimicking physical models offer a reproducible and ethical alternative to animal testing for studying atherosclerosis. These models aid in understanding cardiovascular disease and optimizing patient-specific treatments.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Cardiovascular Research
- Materials Science
Background:
- Atherosclerosis is a primary cause of global mortality, driving the need for advanced diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
- Understanding atherosclerosis pathophysiology is crucial for developing effective interventions.
- Current research focuses on improving diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for cardiovascular diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the fabrication of biomimicking atherosclerotic models.
- To focus on the selection of tissue-mimicking materials based on intended applications.
- To highlight the utility of these models in cardiovascular research.
Main Methods:
- Review of literature on biomimicking models for atherosclerosis.
- Analysis of material selection criteria for different applications.
- Discussion of model capabilities in simulating disease states.
Main Results:
- Biomimicking models provide reproducible, cost-effective, and ethically sound alternatives to animal experimentation.
- These models can represent various atherosclerotic stages and plaque types.
- They are valuable for investigating hemodynamics, pharmacodynamics, biomechanics, and optimizing imaging.
Conclusions:
- Biomimicking models are essential tools for advancing atherosclerosis research and treatment.
- Material selection is critical and depends on the specific application of the biomodel.
- These models offer a pathway to personalized medicine for cardiovascular diseases.
Abstract:
Atherosclerosis represents the etiologic source of several cardiovascular events, including myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular accidents, and peripheral artery disease, which remain the leading cause of mortality in the world. Numerous strategies are being delineated to revert the non-optimal projections of the World Health Organization, by both designing new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches or improving the interventional procedures performed by physicians. Deeply understanding the pathological process of atherosclerosis is, therefore, mandatory to accomplish improved results in these trials. Due to their availability, reproducibility, low expensiveness, and rapid production, biomimicking physical models are preferred over animal experimentation because they can overcome some limitations, mainly related to replicability and ethical issues. Their capability to represent any atherosclerotic stage and/or plaque type makes them valuable tools to investigate hemodynamical, pharmacodynamical, and biomechanical behaviors, as well as to optimize imaging systems and, thus, obtain meaningful prospects to improve the efficacy and effectiveness of treatment on a patient-specific basis. However, the broadness of possible applications in which these biomodels can be used is associated with a wide range of tissue-mimicking materials that are selected depending on the final purpose of the model and, consequently, prioritizing some materials' properties over others. This review aims to summarize the progress in fabricating biomimicking atherosclerotic models, mainly focusing on using materials according to the intended application.
