Blood vessels, avascular regions, and collective behaviour A multiphase simulation of vascular remodelling

Blood vessels have the ability to adapt to changes in blood flow through a process known as vascular remodelling. Vascular remodelling can be divided into angiogenesis, the formation of new vessels, and arteriogenesis, the enlargement of existing vessels. Blood flow creates mechanical forces on the endothelium, such as shear stress, and these forces are required for vascular remodelling to occur. Shear stress induces directed endothelial cell migration and this has recently been proposed to be the mechanism by which vessel can enlarge. The aim of this project is to study endothelial cell migration in vivo in response to flow. Our group has recently developed a technique to concurrently image vascular remodelling and flow dynamics using the avian embryo as a model. I will use this technique, combined with transgenic quail embryos that express fluorescent proteins in the nuclei of their endothelial cells, thereby allowing us to track the motion of the endothelial cells. To show that shear stress drives the endothelial cell migration, I will manipulate the level of shear stress and analyse changes in endothelial cell migration. Finally, I will differentiate the relative contributions of shear-induced migration and growth factor-induced migration by blocking cell surface receptors and establish how this alters endothelial cell migration during remodelling.

Publication year:2021

Accessibility:Open