Anatomically and Physiologically Accurate Engineered Neurovascular Unit and Blood-Brain Barrier Model Using...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Biotechnology
• Vascular Biology

Background:

• Brain vasculature is crucial for brain health and homeostasis.
• Developing accurate human brain vasculature models is vital for drug screening and disease research.
• Current models struggle to replicate in vivo vascular structure and function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a biomimetic human brain vasculature-on-a-chip model.
• To create a platform for drug screening and disease modeling.

Main Methods:

• Isolated microvessels from cryopreserved human cortical tissue.
• Cultured vessels in a gelatin-based hydrogel within a microfluidic device.
• Assessed vascular architecture, anastomosis, and blood-brain barrier function.

Main Results:

• Achieved anatomically relevant arteriole and capillary architectures in hydrogels.
• Demonstrated lumen perfusion via anastomosis to hydrogel edges.
• Confirmed intact blood-brain barrier function in capillaries via restricted dextran diffusion.

Conclusions:

• The developed human brain vasculature-on-a-chip is a physiologically relevant model.
• This platform holds significant potential for biotechnology applications, including drug screening and disease modeling.