がん微小環境における脈管系の役割とin vitro モデルの有用性

抄録

Blood vessels are the site for gas exchange and nutrient exchange between blood and peripheral tissues. Blood vessels are also the major pathway of cancer metastasis and become disordered under pathological conditions. Understanding the function of blood vessels under physiological or pathological conditions is important for developing new strategies for treatment of diseases. Recently, in vitro systems called microphysiological system (MPS) mimicking living tissues on the micro level have gained attention as a tool in visualizing cellular dynamics in 3D microenvironment with controlling over physical and chemical parameters, both of which are difficult to be controlled in animal experiments and conventional 2D in vitro systems. In this article, we introduce recent breakthroughs on blood vessel study using in vitro microvessel models.