Blood vessels grown in a laboratory

Scientists have succeeded in growing perfect human blood vessels. The coverages could allow them to identify the underlying causes of vascular disease and potentially develop and test new treatments for patients with diabetes.

The blood vessels were created by researchers from the University of British Columbia and the Austrian Academy of Sciences. They were created as a so-called. organoids – small versions of roof the following organsow cultured from comostem cells, whichore preserve their key anatomical features. Such troThe j-dimensional models are an invaluable aid to the study of the. Scientists obtain living organ to test rotional concepts.

The breakthrough technology is described in the publication, whichora appeared in the pages of the magazine „Nature”. The work could greatly advance research into vascular diseases such as diabetes by identifying a key pathway to potentially prevent changes in blood vessels – a majoroThe main cause of death amongod osob with diabetes.

– Possibility of building human blood vessels, as organoidow of the comostem cells, is a breakthrough, said study author Josef Penninger, who works at the University of British Columbia and the Austrian Academy of Sciences. – Every single organ in our bodies is linked to the circulatory system, potentially enabling scientists to learn more about why and howoin the treatment of roThe blood vesselsob vascular: Alzheimer’s disease, choriocarcinomaob cardiovascular, the problemow with wound healing, stroke, cancer and diabetes – added.

Diabetes affects an estimated 420 millionoin people around the world. Many of the symptomsoin this disease is the result of changes in blood vessels, whichore cause disturbances in blood circulation and oxygen supply to tissues. Despite its prevalence, little is known about the vascular changes resulting from diabetes. This limitation has slowed the development ofoj treatment.

To deal with this problem, Penninger and his colleagues developed a groundbreaking model: trojDimensional organoids of human blood vessels cultured in a Petri dish. The organoids have an identical structure and roThey mimic well the function of real human blood vessels.

Scientists tested the created organoids on mice. They transplanted them into animals and found that they developed into perfectly functioning blood vessels, including arteries and capillaries. Research shows that it is not only possible to build organoidsoin blood vessels from human comostem cells, but also to develop a functional human vascular system in another species.

– What excites us so much is that we were able to create real human blood vessels from comostem cells,” said Reiner Wimmer, cooroutor research from the Austrian Academy of Sciences. – Our organoids resemble human blood vessels even at the molecular level of the – added.

One of the features of diabetes is that blood vessels show abnormal thickening of the basement membrane. As a result, the delivery of oxygen and componentoin nutrients to the comorek and tissues are severely impaired, which causes many problemsoin health, such as kidney failure, heart attack, stroke mozgu, blindness and peripheral vascular disease, leading to amputation.

Researchers exposed blood vessel organoids to conditions consistent with diabetes. – Surprisingly, we were able to observe massive thickening of the basement membrane in vascular organoids, Wimmer said. – The typical thickening of the basement membrane is strikingly similar to the vascular damage seen in patientow with diabetes,” he added.

Following these observations, the researchers began looking for a linkoin chemical, ktore could block the thickening of blood vessel walls. It turned out that none of the current drugoin anti-diabetic drugs had no positive effect in this regard. The students noted, however, that a gamma-secretase inhibitor prevents thickening of blood vessel walls, suggesting, at least in animal models, that blocking this enzyme may be helpful in treating diabetes.

Sourceobackground: University of British Columbia, photo. Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences