DEVELOPMENT OF A MICROVASCULATURE ENDOTHELIAL CELL MEDIUM

THE LONG-TERM CULTIVATION OF MICROVASCULATURE ENDOTHELIAL CELLS IS NOT COMMON. THESE CELLS ARE IMPORTANT IN STUDIES OF INFLAMMATION, NEOVASCULARIZATION, AND SEEDING OF PROSTHETIC GRAFTS. FAILURE TO GROW MICROVASCULATURE ENDOTHELIAL CELLS FOR MANY POPULATION DOUBLINGS IS DUE, IN PART, TO THE USE OF SUPPLEMENTED MEDIA THAT WERE DEVELOPED AND OPTIMIZED FOR THE CULTIVATION OF LARGE-VESSEL ENDOTHELIAL CELLS. VEC TEC, INC., IS DEVELOPING A MEDIUM THAT WILL OPTIMIZE THEGROWTH OF MICROVASCULATURE ENDOTHELIAL CELLS AND ALLOW FOR THE EXPANSION OF CELL POPULATIONS ISOLATED FROM VARIOUS COMPLEX TISSUES. IT HAS BEEN FOUND THAT THE COMBINATION OF CHONDROITIN SULFATE AND ENDO GRO, A RETINAL-DERIVED ENDOTHELIAL CELL GROWTH FACTOR, ACTS SYNERGISTICALLY TO PROMOTE THE GROWTH OF MICROVASCULATURE ENDOTHELIAL CELLS FROM MURINE HEARTS. VEC TEC, INC.'S, MEDIUM PROMOTES ENHANCED GROWTH AND REPLICATION TIMES. THIS RESEARCH WILL EVALUATE THE ABILITY OF THIS MUCOPOLYSACCHARIDE AND ENDO GRO-SUPPLEMENTED MEDIUM TO SUPPORT THE GROWTH OF MURINE MICROVASCULATURE ENDOTHELIAL CELLS FROM ADDITIONAL ANATOMIC SITES AND DETERMINE IF THIS MEDIUM CAN EXTEND THE IN VITRO LIFE SPAN. THE OBJECTIVE IS TO DEVELOP A COMMERCIAL TISSUE CULTURE MEDIUM FOR THE CULTIVATION OF MICROVASCULATURE ENDOTHELIAL CELLS.