Reconstructing the Vascular Developmental Milieu In Vitro

Michael R Blatchley; Sharon Gerecht

doi:10.1016/j.tcb.2019.10.004

Reconstructing the Vascular Developmental Milieu In Vitro

Trends Cell Biol. 2020 Jan;30(1):15-31. doi: 10.1016/j.tcb.2019.10.004. Epub 2019 Nov 9.

Authors

Michael R Blatchley¹, Sharon Gerecht²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Institute for NanoBioTechnology and Johns Hopkins Physical Sciences-Oncology Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.
² Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Institute for NanoBioTechnology and Johns Hopkins Physical Sciences-Oncology Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. Electronic address: gerecht@jhu.edu.

PMID: 31718894
DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2019.10.004

Abstract

Understanding human development has fascinated scientists for centuries. With advancements in stem cell technologies, this understanding has expanded beyond fascination to application towards informing the design of therapeutics in regenerative medicine. A focus on establishing a better grasp of the physicochemical cues governing differentiation and tissue assembly has continually enhanced engineered systems to an unprecedented level of biomimicry and, in doing so, has allowed the design of novel therapeutics. The vasculature has a critical role during early stages of development and regeneration events, and is responsive to a range of dynamic environmental cues. In this review, we present biomaterials systems capable of spatially and temporally controlling environmental signals that guide vascular fate and assembly, thereby further informing our understanding of differentiation schema.

Keywords: biomaterials; endothelial cells; extracellular matrix; hydrogels; hypoxia; shear; stem cells; vascular development.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Blood Vessels / growth & development*
Cell Differentiation
Endothelial Cells / cytology
Humans
Morphogenesis
Stem Cells / cytology
Vertebrates / embryology