Growing blood vessels in space: Preparation studies of the SPHEROIDS project using related ground-based studies

Marcus Krüger; Sascha Kopp; Markus Wehland; Johann Bauer; Sarah Baatout; Marjan Moreels; Marcel Egli; Thomas J. Corydon; Manfred Infanger; Daniela Grimm

doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2019.03.074

Growing blood vessels in space: Preparation studies of the SPHEROIDS project using related ground-based studies

Marcus Krüger^*, Sascha Kopp, Markus Wehland, Johann Bauer, Sarah Baatout, Marjan Moreels, Marcel Egli, Thomas J. Corydon, Manfred Infanger, Daniela Grimm

^*Corresponding author for this work

Department of Biomedicine - Research and Education, Bartholin Building

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review

6 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Endothelial cells (ECs) grow as single layers on the bottom surface of cell culture flasks under normal (1g) culture conditions. In numerous experiments using simulated microgravity we noticed that the ECs formed three-dimensional, tube-like cell aggregates resembling the intima of small, rudimentary blood vessels. The SPHEROIDS project has now shown that similar processes occur in space. For the first time, we were able to observe scaffold-free growth of human ECs into multicellular spheroids and tubular structures during an experiment in real microgravity. With further investigation of the space samples we hope to understand endothelial 3D growth and to improve the in vitro engineering of biocompatible vessels which could be used in surgery.

Original language	English
Journal	Acta Astronautica
Volume	159
Pages (from-to)	267-272
Number of pages	6
ISSN	0094-5765
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2019.03.074
Publication status	Published - 2019

Keywords

3D growth
Microgravity
Random positioning machine
Spaceflight
Spheroids
Tubular structures

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10.1016/j.actaastro.2019.03.074

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title = "Growing blood vessels in space: Preparation studies of the SPHEROIDS project using related ground-based studies",

abstract = "Endothelial cells (ECs) grow as single layers on the bottom surface of cell culture flasks under normal (1g) culture conditions. In numerous experiments using simulated microgravity we noticed that the ECs formed three-dimensional, tube-like cell aggregates resembling the intima of small, rudimentary blood vessels. The SPHEROIDS project has now shown that similar processes occur in space. For the first time, we were able to observe scaffold-free growth of human ECs into multicellular spheroids and tubular structures during an experiment in real microgravity. With further investigation of the space samples we hope to understand endothelial 3D growth and to improve the in vitro engineering of biocompatible vessels which could be used in surgery.",

keywords = "3D growth, Microgravity, Random positioning machine, Spaceflight, Spheroids, Tubular structures",

author = "Marcus Kr{\"u}ger and Sascha Kopp and Markus Wehland and Johann Bauer and Sarah Baatout and Marjan Moreels and Marcel Egli and Corydon, {Thomas J.} and Manfred Infanger and Daniela Grimm",

year = "2019",

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T2 - Preparation studies of the SPHEROIDS project using related ground-based studies

AU - Krüger, Marcus

AU - Kopp, Sascha

AU - Wehland, Markus

AU - Bauer, Johann

AU - Baatout, Sarah

AU - Moreels, Marjan

AU - Egli, Marcel

AU - Corydon, Thomas J.

AU - Infanger, Manfred

AU - Grimm, Daniela

PY - 2019

Y1 - 2019

N2 - Endothelial cells (ECs) grow as single layers on the bottom surface of cell culture flasks under normal (1g) culture conditions. In numerous experiments using simulated microgravity we noticed that the ECs formed three-dimensional, tube-like cell aggregates resembling the intima of small, rudimentary blood vessels. The SPHEROIDS project has now shown that similar processes occur in space. For the first time, we were able to observe scaffold-free growth of human ECs into multicellular spheroids and tubular structures during an experiment in real microgravity. With further investigation of the space samples we hope to understand endothelial 3D growth and to improve the in vitro engineering of biocompatible vessels which could be used in surgery.

AB - Endothelial cells (ECs) grow as single layers on the bottom surface of cell culture flasks under normal (1g) culture conditions. In numerous experiments using simulated microgravity we noticed that the ECs formed three-dimensional, tube-like cell aggregates resembling the intima of small, rudimentary blood vessels. The SPHEROIDS project has now shown that similar processes occur in space. For the first time, we were able to observe scaffold-free growth of human ECs into multicellular spheroids and tubular structures during an experiment in real microgravity. With further investigation of the space samples we hope to understand endothelial 3D growth and to improve the in vitro engineering of biocompatible vessels which could be used in surgery.

KW - 3D growth

KW - Microgravity

KW - Random positioning machine

KW - Spaceflight

KW - Spheroids

KW - Tubular structures

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DO - 10.1016/j.actaastro.2019.03.074

M3 - Journal article

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SN - 0094-5765

VL - 159

SP - 267

EP - 272

JO - Acta Astronautica

JF - Acta Astronautica

ER -

Growing blood vessels in space: Preparation studies of the SPHEROIDS project using related ground-based studies

Abstract

Keywords

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