Speaker
Description
Perfusion platforms are increasingly used to replicate in vivo vascular environments and to investigate how the interplay between vascular geometry, surface properties, and flow dynamics influences the physiology of endothelial cells lining the lumen of vasculature. Here, we present an approach that combines 3D printing, soft lithography, and advanced surface modification to create perfused vascular platforms designed for both long-term endothelial cell culture and hemodynamic analysis, with particular relevance to cerebrovascular pathologies such as intracranial aneurysm rupture.
In the first part of our work, we developed cylindrical-channel PDMS microfluidic chips using 3D-printed molds and soft lithography. To address the hydrophobic nature of PDMS and its poor cell-adhesive properties, we applied high-frequency low-pressure air plasma treatment. This enabled uniform and reproducible oxidation of the luminal surfaces in enclosed channels. When followed by collagen IV coating, the modified surfaces supported robust endothelialization, enabling the formation of stable, biomimetic endothelial monolayers under continuous perfusion.
The optimized methodology was then adapted for hemodynamic studies platforms. We employed computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and experimental validation using particle image velocimetry (PIV) to analyze flow patterns and wall shear stress distributions in vascular geometries derived from patient-specific intracranial aneurysms. Surgical and imaging data allowed identification of rupture points in six clinical cases, which were then correlated with local hemodynamic parameters. Our findings suggest that rupture sites often coincide with regions of abnormal wall shear stress and high oscillatory shear index.
Future work will focus on adapting the platform for stereolithography (SLA) printing of hydrogels to replace PDMS with more physiologically relevant materials. This transition is expected to enhance fabrication precision and throughput, while also introducing new challenges in post-fabrication processing, particularly with respect to surface modification. Additionally, we aim to establish cell-based models of intracranial aneurysms within these systems to facilitate mechanistic studies and screening of candidate therapeutic compounds.
Supported by the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic in cooperation with the Czech Health Research Council under projects No. NU22-08-00124, NW24-08-00064 and by the project MEDITECH, reg. no. CZ.02.01.01/00/23_021/0009171, co-financed by the European Union under the Jan Amos Komenský Operational Programme.
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