Inflammatory cell recruitment to local sites of tissue injury and/or infection is controlled by many signaling processes influencing cell-to-cell interactions between vascular endothelial cells (EC) in post-capillary venules and circulating leukocytes. Here we report that the ATP-release channel Pannexin1 (Panx1) opens downstream of EC activation by tumor necrosis factor α (TNF α). This process involves activation of Type 1 TNF receptors, recruitment of Src Family Kinases (SFK), and SFK-dependent phosphorylation of Panx1. We report a previously unidentified role for Panx1 channels in promoting leukocyte adhesion and emigration through the venous wall during acute systemic inflammation. The present application further discloses that Panx IL2 peptide consisting of amino acid sequence KYPIVEQYLKYGRKKQRR (SEQ ID NO: 3) or .sup.10Panx1 peptide consisting of amino acid sequence RQAAFVDSY (SEQ ID NO: 8) are inhibitors of leukocyte adhesion.

A biomimetic system is provided for evaluating an effect of a test sample in vitro, and includes at least one organ chip, at least one medium container, a liquid pump, a nebulizer, a gas pump, and a chamber device. The liquid pump is provided to drive a liquid medium in the medium container to flow into a lower sub-channel of the organ chip and then to be discharged back into the medium container. The nebulizer is provided for atomizing a test solution including the test sample into an aerosol. The gas pump is provided to generate a pressurized gas which force the aerosol to flow out of a chamber of the chamber device and then to flow through an upper sub-channel of the organ chip.

Provided herein are methods and compositions for increasing blood-brain barrier permeability in a subject to enhance blood-brain barrier drug transport and methods and composition for identifying agents that regulate blood-brain barrier permeability.

The present invention relates to microfluidic fluidic devices, methods and systems as microfluidic kidney on-chips, e.g. human Proximal Tubule-Kidney-Chip, Glomerulus (Kidney)-Chip, Collecting Duct (Kidney)-Chip. Devices, methods and systems are described for drug testing including drug transport and renal clearance. Further, such devices, methods and systems are used for determining drug-drug interactions and their effect upon renal transporter functions. Importantly, they may be used for pre-clinical and clinical drug development for treating kidney diseases and for personalized medicine.

The present invention relates to a compound for use in a method of reducing the formation of heliocytes causing adhesiogenesis. An in vitro assay for the formation of heliocyte and/or the formation of adhesions is also comprised herein, as well as methods comprising the use of said in vitro assay. It also relates to a pharmaceutical composition for use in a method of reducing the formation of heliocytes comprising the compound mentioned above.

Inflammatory cell recruitment to local sites of tissue injury and/or infection is controlled by many signaling processes influencing cell-to-cell interactions between vascular endothelial cells (EC) in post-capillary venules and circulating leukocytes. Here we report that the ATP-release channel Pannexin1 (Panx1) opens downstream of EC activation by tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα). This process involves activation of Type 1 TNF receptors, recruitment of Src Family Kinases (SFK), and SFK-dependent phosphorylation of Panx1. We report a previously unidentified role for Panx1 channels in promoting leukocyte adhesion and emigration through the venous wall during acute systemic inflammation. The present application further discloses that Panx IL2 peptide consisting of amino acid sequence KYPIVEQYLKYGRKKQRR (SEQ ID NO:3) or .sup.10Panx1 peptide consisting of amino acid sequence WRQAAFVDSY (SEQ ID NO:8) are inhibitors of leukocyte adhesion.

Methods of preparing a crosslinked hydraulic fracturing fluid include combining a hydraulic fracturing fluid comprising a polyacrylamide polymer with a plurality of coated proppants. The plurality of coated proppants include a proppant particle and a resin proppant coating on the proppant particle. The resin proppant coating includes resin and a zirconium oxide crosslinker. The resin includes at least one of phenol, furan, epoxy, urethane, phenol-formaldehyde, polyester, vinyl ester, and urea aldehyde. Methods further include allowing the zirconium oxide crosslinker within the resin proppant coating to crosslink the polyacrylamide polymer within the hydraulic fracturing fluid at a pH of at least 10, thereby forming the crosslinked hydraulic fracturing fluid.

The present invention relates to a model of uremic vasculopathy and uses of the same. More specifically, the present invention relates to: a medium composition for producing an endothelial cell model of uremic vasculopathy, using a uremic toxin mixture that includes urea and uric acid and may further include indoxyl sulfate, creatinine, or advanced glycation end products (AGEs); a preparation method for an endothelial cell model of uremic vasculopathy, including the step of treating endothelial cells with the uremic toxin mixtures; an endothelial cell model of uremic vasculopathy, prepared by the preparation method; screening and toxicity testing methods, using the model, for agents that inhibit or treat uremic vasculopathy. The uremic toxin mixtures including urea and uric acid of the present invention, merely by using the uremic toxins among other various kinds of uremic toxins, may enable simulating a uremic milieu in endothelial cells conveniently in a manner similar to when using the uremic serum of an actual patient with chronic kidney disease. In addition, the uremic toxin mixture of the present invention, when used for preparing an endothelial cell model of uremic angiopathy, may produce an endothelial cell model capable of reflecting various signs of uremic vasculopathy. Furthermore, by using endothelial cells differentiated from induced pluripotent stem cells when preparing the endothelial cell model of uremic vasculopathy model, it is possible to produce an endothelial cell model of uremic vasculopathy with genetic characteristics reflected therein, which may be beneficially used in customized drug screening for the treatment of patients with uremic vasculopathy, the development of new drugs, toxicity testing, and the like.

The invention relates to the field of cultivating biological cells and tissues having an organ-like function on a microphysiological scale and provides a microphysiological reproduction of the choroid and the blood-retinal barrier as an in vitro test system.

A device and method for retrieving cells of interest, in particular rare cells, were disclosed. Tumor-derived endothelial cell clusters (TECCs) retrieved using the disclosed device and method can be used for the diagnosis and prognosis of cancer.