Therapeutic Angiogenesis

Compromised vasculature is associated with several diseases including myocardial infract, diabetic ischemia and macular degeneration. Understanding what factors that promote the organization and polarization of endothelial cells can provide new insights for designing therapeutic strategies.  Synthetic extracellular matrices can enable the implementation of mechanobiology principles in angiogenesis. In hydrogels of appropriate mechanical properties  human umbilical cord endothelial cells can organize into large free standing structures resembling vasculature even in absence of support cells. This mechanobiology paradigm is currently being explored in animal models. Click the video to see a 3-D network of endothelial cells.
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