Isolated human adipose microvessels retain native microvessel structure and recapitulate sprouting angiogenesis

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Tissue Engineering
• Vascular Biology

Background:

• Modeling complex human diseases requires advanced vascularized tissue models.
• Current models face challenges in replicating microvasculature complexity and perivascular cell dynamics.
• Existing rodent-derived microvessel models lack human relevance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize human microvessels from adipose tissue (haMVs) for improved tissue vascularization models.
• To assess the angiogenic potential and cellular components of haMVs.
• To evaluate the utility of haMVs in modeling human disease, specifically tumor angiogenesis.

Main Methods:

• Isolation and characterization of intact human microvessel fragments from adipose tissue (haMVs).
• In vitro assessment of sprouting angiogenesis, including distinct sprouting and neovessel elongation phases.
• In vitro tumor angiogenesis model utilizing haMVs and evaluating anti-tumor agent efficacy.

Main Results:

• haMVs retain native microvessel structures and perivascular cellularity.
• haMVs demonstrate bona fide sprouting angiogenesis in vitro, with variable potential correlating to perivascular cell presence.
• In a tumor angiogenesis model, haMVs, but not endothelial cells alone, showed sensitivity to anti-tumor agents, highlighting the role of perivascular cells.

Conclusions:

• Human adipose microvessels (haMVs) offer a viable, single-reagent solution for creating complex, dynamic human vascularized tissue models.
• The presence of perivascular cells in haMVs is critical for recapitulating tissue function and improving disease modeling.
• haMVs advance the development of human tissue models for disease research and therapeutic development.