Introduction Breakdown of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is one of the earliest signs of sepsis and is linked with long-term cognitive impairment. As animal models poorly recapitulate human sepsis, alternative approaches are direly needed to understand sepsis-associated brain injury and develop strategies that protect against cognitive decline. To fill this gap, we are developing a…
Introduction Breakdown of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is one of the earliest signs of sepsis and is linked with long-term cognitive impairment. As animal models poorly recapitulate human sepsis, alternative approaches are direly needed to understand sepsis-associated brain injury and develop strategies that protect against cognitive decline. To fill this gap, we are developing a…
Introduction In our labs previously work, difficulties in growing endothelial cells (ECs) under shear flow lead to the exploration of novel membrane technologies that permit firm EC attachment, without compromising membrane permeability or leukocyte transmigration studies. We ultimately landed on the development of effectively ‘dual-scale’ membranes that contained 3 μm pores dispersed amongst an NPN…
Introduction As part of my thesis, I have been working on developing an assay for measuring vascular barrier properties within our microfluidic devices. Traditionally, small molecule permeability measurements are performed on cells plated in a Transwell cup. The basic protocol for these assays is initiated by introducing FITC-dextran in cell culture media into the apical…
