INVESTIGATING THE INFLUENCE OF BACTERIAL BIOFILMS ON THE PROGRESSION OF ATHEROSCLEROTIC PLAQUES USING A MICROSYSTEM-BASED FP-I MODEL

A microsystem-based Fibrous plaque model under biofilm-induced inflammation (FP-I) model was developed to study the influence of bacterial biofilms on the progression of fibrous plaques in atherosclerosis.The researchers observed an increase in the expression of biofilm-related genes over time after introducing bacteria in the FP-I model.The FP-I model demonstrated that biofilms promoted the polarization of macrophages towards the M1 phenotype, resulting in heightened inflammatory responses and increased lipid synthesis.Moreover, decreased expression of collagen type I and increased expression of Caspase-3 indicated potential weakening of plaque stability.The study emphasized the need for rapid and reproducible in vitro models to understand the mechanisms of biofilm action and quantify plaque damage.The integration of microsystems and live-cell imaging platforms in the FP-I model offered advantages such as high throughput, miniaturization, and cost-effectiveness.These findings provide insights into the role of bacterial infection in atherosclerosis and hold promise for drug discovery and preclinical research.Future studies aim to enhance the clinical relevance of the model by incorporating factors such as shear stress, immune cells, matrix stiffness, and disease-related conditions to improve its representation of the human vascular environment.