Three-Dimensional Simulation of In Vitro Angiogenesis: Effects of Extracellular Matrix Structure and Density

The process of angiogenesis is regulated by both chemical and mechanical signaling. While the role of chemical factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) during angiogenesis has been extensively studied, the influence of the mechanostructural environment on new vessel generation has received significantly less attention. During angiogenesis, endothelial cells in the existing vasculature detach and migrate out into the surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM), forming tubular structures that eventually mature into new blood vessels. This process is modulated by the structure and composition of the ECM [1]. The ECM is then remodeled by endothelial cells in the elongating neovessel tip, resulting in matrix condensation and changes in fiber orientation [2]. The mechanism as to how angiogenic vasculature and the ECM influence each other is poorly understood.