A microphysiological model designed for the research of angiogenic sprouting in an extracellular matrix

Angiogenesis is an important biological process for vascular development, as well as being involved in different health problems such as cancer, inflammatory processes, infections, and some autoimmune diseases, among others. In recent years, microphysiological devices have been proposed to study angiogenesis due to their ability to accurately recreate in vivo microenvironmental conditions. This study presents a platform to study the early stages of angiogenesis together with an in-silico model, presenting an innovative approach that allows us to better analyze the dynamics of angiogenesis. The presented platform allows the formation of an angiogenic gradient through a porous hydrogel, thus provoking the angiogenic response of endothelial cells and therefore studying the process under the desired conditions. In addition, the use of the two-photon polymerization technique has allowed us to print 3D hydrogels with the desired structure within microfluidic devices. Our results show that this microphysiological device, together with the developed mathematical model, is a valuable tool for studying the complex process of angiogenesis.