Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, and Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
Published: December 2013
AI Article Synopsis
Article Abstract
A biodegradable microvessel scaffold comprised of distinct parenchymal and vascular compartments separated by a permeable membrane interface was conceptualized, fabricated, cellularized, and implanted. The device was designed with perfusable microfluidic channels on the order of 100 μm to mimic small blood vessels, and high interfacial area to an adjacent parenchymal space to enable transport between the compartments. Poly(glycerol sebacate) (PGS) elastomer was used to construct the microvessel framework, and various assembly methods were evaluated to ensure robust mechanical integrity. In vitro studies demonstrated the differentiation of human skeletal muscle cells cultured in the parenchymal space, a 90% reduction in muscle cell viability due to trans-membrane transport of a myotoxic drug from the perfusate, and microvessel seeding with human endothelial cells. In vivo studies of scaffolds implanted subcutaneously and intraperitoneally, without or with exogenous cells, into nude rats demonstrated biodegradation of the membrane interface and host blood cell infiltration of the microvessels. This modular, implantable scaffold could serve as a basis for building tissue constructs of increasing scale and clinical relevance.
Background: Chronic arterial hypertension restructures the vascular architecture of the brain, leading to a series of pathological responses that culminate in cerebral small-vessel disease. Pericytes respond dynamically to vascular challenges; however, how they manifest under the continuous strain of hypertension has not been elucidated.
Methods And Results: In this study, we characterized pericyte behavior alongside hypertensive states in the spontaneously hypertensive stroke-prone rat model, focusing on their phenotypic and metabolic transformation.
Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kumamoto University, 5-1 Oe-honmachi, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, 862-0973, Japan.
Background: Protein expression analysis of isolated brain microvessels provides valuable insights into the function of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). However, isolation of brain microvessels from human brain tissue, particularly in small quantities, poses significant challenges. This study presents a method for isolating brain microvessels from a small amount of frozen human brain tissue, adapting techniques from an established mouse brain capillary isolation method.
Significance: Dynamic phantoms capable of changing optical properties by control are essential for standardizing and calibrating spectroscopy systems such as the pulse oximeter. However, current liquid dynamic phantoms containing human blood have a short shelf life and require complex experimental setups. Some solid dynamic phantoms are influenced by the angular-dependent performance of the liquid crystal display (LCD), some have a low spatial resolution, and some have slow control of optical properties.
Background: The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and microvessel density (MVD) have been widely employed as angiogenesis indicators in the diagnosis and treatment of soft tissue sarcomas. While diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (H-MRS) imaging hold potential in assessing angiogenesis in other tumors, their reliability in correlating with angiogenesis in soft tissue sarcomas remains uncertain, contingent upon accurately acquiring the region of interest (ROI).
Methods: 23 patients with soft tissue sarcomas (STSs) confirmed by pathology were selected, underwent DKI and H-MRS at 3.
Background: Rosacea is a common inflammatory skin disorder characterized by frequent facial flushing, erythema, telangiectasia, and papules, with a higher incidence observed in individuals aged 30-50 years and a tendency to decrease in the elderly. This age-related decline in incidence drew our attention to further explore the relationship between rosacea pathogenesis and aging.
Methods: We analyzed the incidence of rosacea across 8340 individuals without systemic diseases.
