ArticlePloS one2023
Co-culture models of endothelial cells, macrophages, and vascular smooth muscle cells for the study of the natural history of atherosclerosis.
Article in PloS one, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
19 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 27 citations in OpenAlex.
- Evidence Synthesis and Mechanism Analysis of Quercetin Treatment for Atherosclerosis: A Preclinical Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Pooled it
- Engineering etiology-aligned in vitro models of human vessels.Microsystems & nanoengineering · 2026Review
- CD8Nature reviews. Cardiology · 2026Review
- Migration of co-cultured endothelial and smooth muscle cells on material surfaces.Regenerative biomaterials · 2026Article
- Review
- Key parameters for designing robust 2D and 3D spheroid models forBioengineering & translational medicine · 2025Review
- Novel composite bone cement modulates inflammatory response in vitro.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- The Crosstalk Between Endothelial Cells, Smooth Muscle Cells, and Macrophages in Atherosclerosis.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Review
- Adiponectin and Adiponectin Receptors in Atherosclerosis.Endocrine reviews · 2025Review
- IntermedinJournal of inflammation research · 2025Article
- A Co-Culture System for Studying Cellular Interactions in Vascular Disease.Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
- The Effects of Biomimetic Surface Topography on Vascular Cells: Implications for Vascular Conduits.Advanced healthcare materials · 2024Review
- Blood Lipoproteins Shape the Phenotype and Lipid Content of Early Atherosclerotic Lesion Macrophages: A Dual-Structured Mathematical Model.Bulletin of mathematical biology · 2024Article
- Unraveling and Harnessing the Immune Response at the Cell-Biomaterial Interface for Tissue Engineering Purposes.Advanced healthcare materials · 2024Review
- Effect of reactive oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur species on signaling pathways in atherosclerosis.Vascular pharmacology · 2024Review
- Effects of Mechanical Stress on Endothelial Cells In Situ and In Vitro.International journal of molecular sciences · 2023Review
- Vascular smooth muscle cells enhance immune/vascular interplay in a 3-cell model of vascular inflammation.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- Changing Face of Inflammatory Activation in Complex Coronary Artery Disease during the COVID-19 Pandemic.Journal of cardiovascular development and disease · 2023Article
- Role of triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 in the mechanotransduction signaling pathways that link low shear stress with inflammation.Scientific reports · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
10 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThis work aims to present a fast, affordable, and reproducible three-cell co-culture system that could represent the different cellular mechanisms of atherosclerosis, extending from atherogenesis to pathological intimal thickening. METHODS AND
resultsWe built four culture models: (i) Culture model #1 (representing normal arterial intima), where human coronary artery endothelial cells were added on top of Matrigel-coated collagen type I matrix, (ii) Culture model #2 (representing atherogenesis), which demonstrated the subendothelial accumulation and oxidative modification of low-density lipoproteins (LDL), (iii) Culture model #3 (representing intimal xanthomas), which demonstrated the monocyte adhesion to the endothelial cell monolayer, transmigration into the subendothelial space, and transformation to lipid-laden macrophages, (iv) Culture model #4 (representing pathological intimal thickening), which incorporated multiple layers of human coronary artery smooth muscle cells within the matrix. Coupling this model with different shear stress conditions revealed the effect of low shear stress on the oxidative modification of LDL and the upregulation of pro-inflammatory molecules and matrix-degrading enzymes. Using electron microscopy, immunofluorescence confocal microscopy, protein and mRNA quantification assays, we showed that the behaviors exhibited by the endothelial cells, macrophages and vascular smooth muscle cells in these models were very similar to those exhibited by these cell types in nascent and intermediate atherosclerotic plaques in humans. The preparation time of the cultures was 24 hours.
conclusionWe present three-cell co-culture models of human atherosclerosis. These models have the potential to allow cost- and time-effective investigations of the mechanobiology of atherosclerosis and new anti-atherosclerotic drug therapies.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.