Perfusable cellulose channels from decellularized leaf scaffolds for modeling vascular amyloidosis

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Vascular Biology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Amyloid infiltration in blood vessels, or vascular amyloidosis, contributes to tissue damage and disease progression.
• Studying amyloid flow and deposition in capillaries is challenging due to the lack of appropriate in vitro models.
• Existing vascular models do not fully replicate the complex microvasculature of human blood vessels.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel decellularized leaf scaffold (DCLS) that mimics human capillary structures.
• To utilize the DCLS as a platform for investigating intravascular amyloidosis.
• To assess the efficacy of an amyloid-degrading agent in the DCLS model.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a decellularized leaf scaffold (DCLS) preserving cellulose framework and pore structure.
• Validation of DCLS structural integrity and vascular mimicry using fluorescent molecules and colorimetric nanoparticles.
• Perfusion of hen egg-white lysozyme amyloid and subsequent treatment with an amyloid-degrading agent (trypsin).

Main Results:

• The DCLS successfully mimicked complex capillary structures and demonstrated preserved pore structure and responsiveness.
• Amyloid deposition was observed within the DCLS after perfusion with hen egg-white lysozyme.
• Treatment with trypsin resulted in a significant reduction in amyloid deposition (18.3% at 90 min, 25.5% at 180 min).

Conclusions:

• The DCLS provides a realistic and physiologically relevant in vitro model for studying vascular amyloidosis.
• This novel scaffold facilitates research into amyloid accumulation and clearance mechanisms within blood vessels.
• The DCLS platform offers advantages over existing in vitro vascular models for investigating vascular diseases.