POS8-0651
Neutral Buoyancy-Based Simulated Microgravity Accelerates Vascular Network Formation and Maturation in Engineered 3D Tissues
Topic
S8. Frontiers of Functional Polymers in Biology and Medicine
When and Where
Oct 1, 2026
08:30 - 09:30
Room 301 (Grand Ballroom)
Session Chairs
Jinkee HONG
Ki Su KIM
Presenter(s)
Ho Yong Kim (Dankook University)
Co-Author(s)
Abstract
The development of three-dimensional (3D) artificial tissues remains a major challenge in regenerative medicine due to insufficient vascularization within the tissue constructs. Because oxygen and nutrient diffusion are limited to a few hundred micrometers, engineered tissues larger than several millimeters inevitably suffer from hypoxia and center necrosis. Although co-culture of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and endothelial cells has been investigated to promote angiogenesis, most approaches primarily induce peripheral vascular sprouting rather than organized vascular structures within tissues. Therefore, strategies capable of functional vascular network formation within engineered tissues are needed. Microgravity (μg) has emerged as a unique biophysical cue that alter cellular behavior, including cytoskeletal rearrangement, migration, angiogenic activity. Importantly, microgravity has been reported to promote endothelial migration and angiogenesis through activation of the PI3K/Akt/eNOS signaling pathway and nitric oxide-associated signaling cascades. In this study, we aimed to develop large pre-vascularized tissue constructs using neutral buoyancy-based simulated microgravity system. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were embedded within collagen matrices and cultured under simulated μg conditions. Subsequently, MSCs were incorporated to induce vascular stabilization and maturation. The endothelial network formation and vascular maturation by MSCs were assessed using immunostaining and molecular analysis (qRT-PCR and western blotting).
