Organ Model: Liver
Applications: Immunology & Inflammation
Highlights
Imaging endothelial cell behavior under physiological conditions, particularly those associated with chronic fibrotic pathologies, is an incredibly challenging endeavor. While short-term assessments (hours) can be achieved with techniques such as intravital microscopy, vascular changes often occur over days and weeks which is unfeasible with current imaging techniques. These challenges are exemplified within the liver where liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) are known to undergo dramatic changes termed endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) during fibrotic liver disease. Despite the established presence of EndMT in liver disease, the inaccessibility of viable liver tissue, and simplicity of 2D culture techniques has meant, the role of EndMT during disease progression remains largely undetermined. This study describes the development of novel fluorescent EndMT reporters to identify, track, and characterize the migratory behaviour of EndMT cells. The authors show that liver-on-a-chip (LOAC) platforms provide a flexible, optically accessible, and physiologically relevant microenvironment to study the vascular dynamics of EndMT during liver disease.
