In Vitro Models Improve Vascular Disease Research

A new in vitro model shows promise for studying circulatory diseases such as atherosclerosis, according to a new study published in BMC Biotechnology. Human endothelial cells, which line blood vessels and become dysfunctional in atherosclerosis, can be cultured on collagen films to induce normal or dysfunctional growth patterns.

This culture system could prove helpful for understanding how vascular diseases begin and for screening therapeutic drugs.