Novel Technologies
In pursuing its goal to understand how the vascular system responds to physiological and pathological changes, and subsequently to develop novel therapeutics, the Vascular Health Research Centre at DCU employs a range of unique experimentation technologies. These include a range of proprietary cell culturing technologies which allow one to simulate in vitro the complex, mechanically challenged, three-dimensional environment of a blood vessel, in addition to state-of-the-art gene array technology to examine differential gene expression in vascular cells under varying environmental conditions.
CELLMAX® Artificial Capillary System
Flexercell® Tension Plus™ System
Flexercell® Compression Plus™ System
The Vascular Biology Research Group at DCU employs a unique CELLMAX® Artificial Capillary System (Spectrum Laboratories, Inc.) for the perfused transcapillary in vitro culture/co-culture of vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells. Unlike conventional cell culture technologies, this system simulates the highly efficient, three-dimensional function of the human capillary system and, when used in conjunction with the CELLMAX® Quad (a proprietary positive pressure displacement pumping mechanism that permits long term culture in artificial capillary modules at precisely controlled flow rates), is particularly ideal for endothelial cell studies under conditions of defined hemodynamic shear stress. For further information, visit http://www.spectrapor.com/cellco/index.html.
Legend: The CELLMAX® perfused transcapillary in vitro co-culture cartridge system (below left) and the CELLMAX® Quad proprietary pumping station (below right).
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Legend: Electron micrograph of vascular smooth muscle (below left) and endothelial cell growth (below right) in a CELLMAX® perfused capillary. Courtesy of Cappadona et al. (1999) Exp Cell Res 250: 174-186.
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Flexercell® Tension Plus™ System:
We employ the Flexercell® Tension Plus™ (FX-4000T™)(Dunn Labortechnik GmBH) to culture vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells under conditions of cyclic strain. This is a computer-driven system that simulates biological strain conditions using 'vacuum' to deform cells cultured on a flexible, matrix-bonded growth surface of BioFlex® culture plates. For further information, visit http://www.dunnlab.de/lab_flexcell_e.htm.
Flexercell® Compression Plus™ System:
The Flexercell® Compression Plus™ System (FX-4000C™) is employed to simulate biological compression conditions using 'pressure' to deform tissue samples or cells cultured in a gel. For further information, visit http://www.dunnlab.de/lab_flexcell_e.htm.
FlexFlow® Shear Stress System:
Under construction...
Affymetrix® Gene Array System:
Click here to download Affymetrix® video
