Formation of Stable, Long Lasting 3D Blood Vessels from Endothelial Cells
- Detailed Technology Description
- The inventors have discovered that overexpressing the transcription factor Etv2 in adult endothelial cells results in cells that are capable of forming fully functioning 3D blood vessels in vitro that are stable and long-lasting.
- Others
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None
- *Abstract
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TechnologyOverview
Despite advances in the fields of angiogenesis and vasculogenesis,the technology to enable endothelial cells to grow in to fully functional 3Dblood vessels in vitro has not yetbeen devised. The main approach thus far, has been to “force” endothelial cellsto grow into blood vessels inside of pre-fabricated artificial scaffolds. However,these artificial blood vessels that are formed inside tunnel-like molds are notlong lasting and lack a functioning lumen.The inventors have addressed thismajor problem by identifying a key player in turning endothelial cells intoblood vessels, the E-twenty-six specific sequence (ETS) transcription factor variant2 (ETV2). ETV2 is a master transcription factor that is transiently expressedfrom day E7.5 to E10.5 in mouse development, and plays a crucial role in theformation of the primary vascular plexus and vasculogenesis. The inventors haveshown that transient overexpression of ETV2 in adult endothelial cells mediatesthe growth of long lasting functional 3D vessels, which can be used as aplatform for vessel formation both invitro and in vivo. The“reprogramming” of endothelial cells by a transcription factor that allows themto attain vasculogenic properties is a major advancement in the field.
Potential Applications
· This technology could be used as a platform to furtherunderstand and elucidate the biology behind vessel and lumen formation networksin endothelial cells.
· As a platform, this technology could also be used forscreening various known and unknown drugs and compounds that can disruptangiogenesis, by using vascularized tumor organoids.
· ETV2 vessels could be used in animal injury models to replacedamaged vasculature.
· A major problem with growing organs or organoids in vitro is that they lack propervasculature, thus limiting their function and size. This issue could beaddressed via this technology to ensure proper perfusion in preparation fororgan transplantation.
Advantages
· The vessels are accessible and encapsulation free, allowingfor easy manipulation.
· The vessels are highly stable for at least 16-20 weeks.
- *Licensing
- Dan-Oscar Antsonda429@cornell.edu646-962-7042
- Country/Region
- USA
