Vessel structures (red) and stromal cells (green) sprout from cell-laden PEG microgels (denoted by dashed circles) into a surrounding extracellular matrix, forming interconnected networks after 7 days of culture (scale bar = 100 μm). Cell nuclei are labeled in blue in this confocal microscopy image.
"This study developed a method to co-encapsulate endothelial and stromal cells within small synthetic microgels using microfluidic droplet generation, and evaluated their ability to nucleate larger networks of capillary blood vessels. Composed of poly(ethylene glycol) functionalized with both cell-adhesive and protease-degradable peptides, each cell-laden microgel (approximately 250 microns in diameter and just 8 picoliters in volume!) supported the formation of primitive microvasculature on their interior and initiated the formation and development of robust, interconnected microvascular networks on their exterior. These vascularizing microgels may be useful to study fundamental questions in vascular biology and to therapeutically revascularize ischemic tissues."
This study was led by Dr. Nicole Friend, a 2023 PhD graduate in biomedical engineering who was co-supervised by Professors Jan Stegemann and Andy Putnam. Collaborators on the study included Dr. Brendon Baker (Biomedical Engineering) and several members of his team (M.M. Hu, R.N. Kent III, S.J. DePalma), two additional members of Dr. Putnam's team (I.W. Zhang and A.J. McCoy), and Dr. Sasha Cai Lesher-Perez (Chemical Engineering).