RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 An organotypic in vitro model of matured blood vessels JF bioRxiv FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory SP 2020.08.03.234807 DO 10.1101/2020.08.03.234807 A1 Jaehyun Lee A1 Esak Lee YR 2020 UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2020/08/04/2020.08.03.234807.abstract AB Angiogenesis is a physiological process in which brand-new blood vessels are formed from pre-existing blood vessels. The angiogenic processes are achieved by multiple steps, including angiogenic vascular sprouting, lumen formation, mural cell (e.g., smooth muscle cells) recruitment, and vessel stabilization by the mural cell coverage of the neovessels. Especially, mural cell recruitment to and coverage of the newly formed endothelium is a fundamental process to provide fully matured, functional blood vessels. Although investigation of the mural cell interactions with endothelial cells is crucial not only for better understanding of vascular physiology, but also for treating numerous vascular diseases, there has been a lack of three-dimensional (3D) in vitro models that recapitulate spontaneous processes of the vascular maturation. In this study, we describe an organotypic in vitro model that represents multi-step, spontaneous vascular maturation processes, which includes angiogenic vessel sprouting, smooth muscle cell (SMC) recruitment, and the SMC coverage of the neovessels. Using the system, we could spatiotemporally control vessel sprouting and vessel stabilization/maturation; and revealed an optimal condition that could reconstitute SMC-covered, matured blood vessels in 3D in vitro. We may provide a new platform for future mechanism studies of vascular interactions to mural cells and vessel maturation; and for pre-clinical screening and validation of therapeutic agent candidates for treating vascular diseases.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.