Microfluidic "Angiogenesis-on-a-Chip" Test System for Studying Fundamental Mechanisms of Angiogenesis and Testing Pharmacological Drugs
Ksenia O. Salina1, Anna A. Kopylova1, Ivan A. Kushnir1, Maxim A. Dragun1, Daniil A. Bystrov1, Nikita P. Kryuchkov1, Egor V. Yakovlev1, Stanislav O. Yurchenko; 1Bauman Moscow State Technical University, Moscow, Russia
Abstract
Microfluidic “angiogenesis-on-a-chip” systems provide controlled conditions for studying vascular growth and evaluating pharmacological compounds. External electric fields are a promising approach for controlling angiogenesis, as different field parameters can induce different cellular responses. This may provide an opportunity to reproduce and study specific angiogenic responses under controlled experimental conditions.
In this work, a microfluidic platform for controlled angiogenesis was developed. The chip has a three-channel architecture that spatially separates the extracellular matrix from the culture channels for endothelial and stromal cells. Several barrier architectures and geometric parameters were tested to ensure precise positioning of the extracellular matrix within the central channel and prevent its leakage into the adjacent channels, while also selecting dimensions suitable for cell viability. The chip design includes features for reproducible electrode positioning, allowing different orientations of the electric field relative to the angiogenic region.
Preliminary biological experiments confirmed the feasibility of the platform: endothelial cells and fibroblasts remained viable for at least eight days, and the system allowed stimulation with growth factors. The platform can be used both as a conventional growth-factor-based angiogenesis model and with external electrical stimulation. This provides an opportunity to compare different electrical stimulation conditions and study their potential pro- or anti-angiogenic effects, as well as to test pharmacological compounds under controlled conditions.
This study was supported by state budget funding within the framework of the state assignment “Controlled angiogenesis: collective cell dynamics and novel physical methods of stimulation”, No. 0705-2025-0010.
Speaker
Salina Ksenia
Centre for Soft Matter and Physics of Fluids, Bauman Moscow State Technical University, Moscow, Russia
Russia
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