Mechanisms of Vascular Maturation and Maintenance Captured by Longitudinal Imaging of Live Mouse Skin

    November 2022 in “ bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) ”
    Chen Yuan Kam, I. Singh, Catherine Matte-Martone, David G. Gonzalez, Paloma Solá, Guiomar Solanas, Júlia Bonjoch, Edward Marsh, Karen K. Hirschi, Valentina Greco
    TLDR Neonatal blood vessels rearrange and stabilize as adults, with adult vessels better at self-repair after injury.
    The study investigated the mechanisms of vascular maturation and maintenance in live mice by tracking neonatal endothelial cells (ECs) over time. It was found that capillary plexus expansion involved network-wide vessel regression and transient angiogenesis, with neonatal ECs rearranging to stabilize in adulthood. In response to injury, neonatal ECs were prone to die, whereas adult ECs survived through self-repair and neighboring ECs reactivated migration to aid in vessel repair. The processes of neonatal vessel regression and adult vascular maintenance were regulated by VEGFR2 dependent signaling. This research provided insights into the cellular mechanisms of vascular development and maintenance.
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