In Vitro Vascularization of Human Microtissues: VEGF profiling and angiogenesis in human connective micro tissues

摘要

Owing to its dual impact on tissue engineering (neovascularization of tissue implants) and cancer treatment (prevention of tumor-induced vascularization), management and elucidation of vascularization phenomena remain clinical priorities. Using a variety of primary human cells and (neoplastic) cell lines assembled in microtissues (MTs) by gravity-enforced self-aggregation in hanging drops we (i) studied VEGF production of MTs in comparison to isogenic monolayer cultures, (ii) characterized the self-organization and VEGF-production potential of mixed-cell spheroids and (iii) analyzed VEGF-dependent capillary formation of HUVEC (human umbilical vein endothelial cells) cells coated onto human primary cell spheroids.