Anastomosis of endothelial sprouts forms new vessels in a tissue analogue of angiogenesis

Abstract

Here we describe a microfluidic device that accurately reproduces the dynamics of vascular anastomosis, the process by which vascular sprouts connect to achieve perfusion during angiogenesis. The micro-device features two parallel endothelial cell-lined vessel analogues separated by a 300 μm wide collagenous matrix into which the vessels can sprout and form perfused bridging connections. By accurately recapitulating anastomosis in vitro, the device will enable a new generation of studies of the mechanisms of angiogenesis and provide a novel and practical platform for drug screening.