A method for characterising a tissue-engineered construct and the tissue-engineered construct are described. The characterisation method allows verification of viability, morphology, functionality and/or distribution of cells comprised in the tissue-engineered construct. The tissue-engineered construct has a scaffold with a lumen and at least one portion of the lumen lined with at least one functional and preferably continuous cell layer, that can be used for in vitro testing of medicinal products for human or animal use. A method for the in vitro testing of medicinal products for human or animal use performed with the tissue-engineered construct is also described.

The present disclosure provides, in some embodiments, in vitro blood brain barrier (iBBB) having functional properties of in vivo BBB as well as methods of identifying compounds capable of traversing the iBBB. Compounds capable of crossing the iBBB and therapeutic uses of such compounds are also described.

Provided herein is a method for assessing angiogenic effects of a test composition, the method including: providing human microvessel (MV) fragments selected to correspond to a desired patient profile; embedding the human MV fragments in a gel matrix of a three dimensional (3D) in vitro culture; providing serum free media to the 3D in vitro culture; contacting the 3D in vitro culture comprising embedded human MV fragments with a test composition; and assessing the angiogenic effects of the test composition by measuring at least one angiogenic growth parameter of the 3D in vitro culture comprising embedded human MV fragments. Also provided herein are 3D in vitro cultures useful in the disclosed methods.

Provided herein are compositions containing neamine, or a composition containing an agent that possesses one or more activities of neamine, and the research, diagnostic and therapeutic uses of such compounds, such as for the treatment of cancer.

Ischemic conditions are a leading cause of death for both men and women. Ischemia, a condition characterized by reduced blood flow and oxygen to an organ. Re-establishment of blood flow, or reperfusion, and re-oxygenation of the affected area following an pot ischemic episode is critical to limit irreversible damage. However, reperfusion also associates potentially damaging consequences. For NI instance, increased vascular permeability is an important contributor to edema and tissue damage following ischemic events. Here the inventors shows that genetic inhibition of PI3K-C2β reduces cerebral infarction in two ischemia/reperfusion (UR) models and improves neurological outcome. The genetic inhibition stabilizes the blood-brain barrier (BBB) after ischemic stroke and reduces inflammation. Accordingly, the present invention relates to a method for the preservation of vascular endothelial cell barrier integrity in a patient in need thereof comprising administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of a PI3KC2β inhibitor.

This application relates to a method for identifying a drug candidate capable of increasing or decreasing barrier tissue integrity of endothelial cells. Moreover, this application relates to the use of a tight junction gene transcriptional reporter as a surrogate marker of transendothelial barrier integrity.

The present invention refers to a model for in-vitro simulation of the behaviour of dysfunctional human vessels, such as for example vessels affected by aneurysm, stenosis or sclerosis plaques, as an instrument for testing medical devices and drugs with the aim of verifying effectiveness and safety thereof prior to use thereof on humans. Specifically, the present invention refers to an in vitro model of a substantially tubular-shaped vascular structure having dysfunctional anatomical and physiological characteristics simulating the same vascular structure of a healthy subject whose vascular structure has been damaged or deformed or deteriorated due to a damage selected from among the group comprising or, alternatively, consisting of aneurysm, stenosis, sclerosis plaques, forms of tumours or cardiomyopathies having the characteristics as claimed in the attached claims. Furthermore, the present invention also refers to a reliable and reproducible industrialisation process for eliminating air bubbles for producing an engineered vascular tissue for the in vitro test of medicinal products for human use and veterinarian products for animal use.

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.

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.

A column-based device and method for retrieving cells of interest were enclosed. The said device comprises a column comprising (i) an inner wall defining an inner chamber with inlet and outlet openings, (ii) a perforated plug disposed adjacent to the outlet opening, (iii) a sleeve insert with a channel and disposed within the chamber and adjacent to the perforated plug, and (iv) a filtering means housed within sleeve insert sandwiched between two sealing means. In particular, Tumor-derived endothelial cell clusters (TECCs) as characterized multiple nuclei, expression of endothelial markers (PECAM1, VWF and CDH5), and non-expression of leukocyte, megakaryocyte and platelets markers, may be retrieved using the disclosed device. Also encompassed are methods, reagents and kits for the diagnosis and prognosis of cancers by detecting for the presence of TECCs isolated from blood samples using the claimed device.