Cardiovascular

Tissue Engineered Blood Vessels

The Truskey Lab has developed a method of rapidly synthesizing perfusable tissue-engineered vascular constructs made from human cells. These tissue-engineered blood vessels (TEBVs) are similar in size and structure to human arterioles.  They provide a robust platform for studying the circulatory system in vitro. In particular, our research focuses cardiovascular aging, vascular inflammation, disease modeling, and drug testing.

Recent Publication: Lee et al. 2021. Emulating Early Atherosclerosis in a Vascular Microphysiological System Using Branched Tissue-Engineered Blood Vessels. Adv Biol (Weinh).; 5(4):e2000428. doi: 10.1002/adbi.202000428.

Progeria Disease Modeling and Drug Testing

The accelerated aging disease, Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria syndrome (HGPS), is a rare disorder caused by a mutation in the LMNA gene that leads to a truncated and farnesylated form of the protein progerin.  This condition primarily affects cells of the mesenchymal lineage, which ultimately manifests as patients appearing significantly older than they are (alopecia, growth retardation, decreased bone density, etc.).  The primary cause of death of those suffering from HGPS is atherosclerosis occurring at 10-15 years of age. This indicates that blood vessels, particularly vascular smooth muscle cells, are key sites where the disorder is manifested. We aim to build on our previous work with tissue engineered blood vessels by using induced pluripotent stem-cell derived vascular smooth muscle cells from Progeria patients in the fabrication of vascular constructs. This will allow us to replicate the disorder’s effects on the circulatory system in vitro. This will provide a valuable platform for both improving understanding of Progeria and testing treatments for Progeria.

Recent Publication: Atchison et al. 2020.  iPSC-Derived Endothelial Cells Affect Vascular Function in a Tissue-Engineered Blood Vessel Model of Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome. Stem Cell Reports.;14(2):325-337.