Vascular stenosis triggers adaptive cellular responses that induce adverse remodeling, which can progress to partial or complete vessel occlusion. Despite its severity, cellular interactions and biophysical cues that regulate pathological progression are poorly understood. We report the design and fabrication of a three-dimensional in vitro system to model vascular stenosis so that specific cellular interactions and responses to hemodynamic stimuli can be investigated. Tubular cellularized constructs (cytotubes) were produced using a collagen casting system to generate a stenotic arterial model. Fabrication methods were developed to create cytotubes containing co-cultured vascular cells, where cell viability, distribution, morphology, and contraction were examined (Figure). Fibroblasts, bone marrow primary cells, smooth muscle cells (SMCs), and endothelial cells (ECs) remained viable during culture and developed locationand time-dependent morphologies. We found cytotube contraction to depend on cellular composition, where SMC-EC co-cultures adopted intermediate contractile phenotypes between SMCand EC-only cytotubes. Our fabrication approach and resulting artery model can serve as an in vitro 3D culture system to investigate vascular pathogenesis.

Microscopy and Microanalysis

Metallurgical and materials transactions. A, Physical metallurgy and materials science

Proceedings of the royal society.

Dr. Suib is a Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and received the CT Medal of Science for his work in catalysis, semiconductors and ceramic composites. He received a B. S. degree in chemistry and geology at the State University College of New York at Fredonia. His graduate and postdoctoral training was completed at the University of Illinois at Champaign Urbana. In 1980, Steve joined UConn’s faculty in the Department of Chemistry and served as the head of the department for 10 years. He is a Fellow of the American Chemical Society and the American Institute of Chemists.

Materials by Design

Review on ultra-high temperature boride ceramics

Nucleation and propagation of { 101¯2} twins in AZ31 magnesium alloy

Electron imaging with an EBSD detector.

The effect of length scale on the determination of geometrically necessary dislocations via EBSD continuum dislocation microscopy.

https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2891&context=facpub

Travis Rampton

Papers

Nucleation and propagation of { 101¯2} twins in AZ31 magnesium alloy

Electron imaging with an EBSD detector.

The effect of length scale on the determination of geometrically necessary dislocations via EBSD continuum dislocation microscopy.

Insights into Twinning in Mg AZ31: A Combined EBSD and Machine Learning Study

Local dislocation creep accommodation of a zirconium diboride silicon carbide composite