Artery Research

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Volume 24, Issue C, December 2018, Pages 80 - 81

P3 UNDERSTANDING THE ENDOTHELIAL – SMOOTH MUSCLE – FIBROBLASTIC CELLS INTERACTIONS ON A TISSUE-ENGINEERED VASCULAR GRAFT

Authors
Tatiana Felizardo, Nuno M. Neves, Albino Martins, Rui L. Reis
3B’s Research Group, I3Bs – Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Guimarães, Portugal
Available Online 4 December 2018.
DOI
10.1016/j.artres.2018.10.056How to use a DOI?
Abstract

There is still a pressing need to develop small-diameter vascular vessels for vascular reconstructive procedures. Tissue Engineering offers the prospect of being able to meet this medical demand, as it allows the development of structurally complex blood vessels substitutes 1. Accordingly, the ultimate aim of this work is to develop small diameter vascular substitutes based on layering multiple cell types. Co-culture systems of human endothelial-smooth muscle cells and fibroblastic-smooth muscle cells were initially established. These co-cultures were then assembled to develop a tri-culture system, which mimics the structural organization of a blood vessel. Electrospun nanofibrous meshes were used as culturing substrates, which restrict cell migration although enabling biochemical communication 2. All the established culture systems presented viable and proliferive cell populations over time. Interestingly, the tri-culture system presented protein synthesis values much higher than the co-cultures, mostly of collagen. On the immunofluorescence micrographs were observed the maintenance of cell type-specific proteins expression, even in the presence of another cell type. Quantification of Growth Factors (GFs) on conditioned media of the co- and tri-culture systems demonstrated a synergistic interplay between Vascular Endothelial GF (VEGF) and basic Fibroblast GF (Bfgf). The VEGF was mainly expressed by smooth muscle cells, which leads to increasing levels in the co- and tri-culture systems. A similar trend is observed for Bfgf, expectedly produced by the fibroblastic cells. By its side, the platelet derived GF levels remain unaltered among conditions. This study demonstrated the fundamental importance of the intercellular crosstalk between endothelial, smooth muscle and fibroblastic cells. It reinforces the potential of a tri-culture system in the development of tissue engineered blood vessel substitutes.

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This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC license.

References

1.E Benrashid, CC McCoy, LM Youngwirth, J Kim, RJ Manson, JC Otto, et al., Tissue engineered vascular grafts: Origins, development, and current strategies for clinical application, Methods: [Internet], Vol. 99, 2016, pp. 13-9. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ymeth.2015.07.014
2.A Martins, M Alves da Silva, RL Reis, and NM Neves, Polymeric mesh with selective permeability, for the repair and regeneration of tissues. WO/2014/016816 A1, EP 2878314 B1, US 2016/0038645 A1
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Journal
Artery Research
Volume-Issue
24 - C
Pages
80 - 81
Publication Date
2018/12/04
ISSN (Online)
1876-4401
ISSN (Print)
1872-9312
DOI
10.1016/j.artres.2018.10.056How to use a DOI?
Open Access
This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC license.

Cite this article

risenwbib
TY  - JOUR
AU  - Tatiana Felizardo
AU  - Nuno M. Neves
AU  - Albino Martins
AU  - Rui L. Reis
PY  - 2018
DA  - 2018/12/04
TI  - P3 UNDERSTANDING THE ENDOTHELIAL – SMOOTH MUSCLE – FIBROBLASTIC CELLS INTERACTIONS ON A TISSUE-ENGINEERED VASCULAR GRAFT
JO  - Artery Research
SP  - 80
EP  - 81
VL  - 24
IS  - C
SN  - 1876-4401
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.artres.2018.10.056
DO  - 10.1016/j.artres.2018.10.056
ID  - Felizardo2018
ER  -