Biomimetric Vascular System as Novel Tool for Nanoparticle Uptake Research

Nanomedicine is a relatively new field that promises to facilitate biomedical research and significantly improves medical care. One of the aims in Nanomedicine is the development of drug delivery systems such as nanoparticles. Although nanoparticle coatings can be designed to be biocompatible, degradable and able to avoid immune recognition their circulation and accumulation in the endothelium may lead to local physical and cellular stress, thus increasing the risks of chronic inflammation and other pathological conditions. To assess nanoparticle uptake and accumulation in endothelial cell cultures a biomimetic vascular system was developed to study the effect of flow rate on bioavailability and distribution. For this purpose, a monolayer of endothelial cells was cultured in a microfluidic biochips and nanoparticle uptake in the presence of increasing flow rates and shear forces were quantified using fluorescent imaging. Results of the study show a clear velocity-dependent uptake dynamic of endothelial cells using 249 nm polystyrene nanoparticles, thus pointing at a dissimilar biodistribution along human blood vessels.