Stable three-dimensional blood vessels and methods for forming the same

Abstract

The present disclosure provides methods for forming stable three-dimensional vascular structures, such as blood vessels and uses thereof. More specifically, the present disclosure provides methods for culturing differentiated endothelial cells that include an exogenous nucleic acid encoding ETV2 transcription factor on a matrix under conditions that express exogenous ETV2 protein in the endothelial cell to form stable three-dimensional artificial blood vessels without the use of a scaffold, pericytes or perfusion. The present disclosure also provides stable three-dimensional blood vessels that are capable of autonomously forming a functional three-dimensional vascular network, and uses thereof. In addition, the present disclosure includes methods for vascularizing an organoid and a decellularized organ by culturing the organoid or decellularized organ with endothelial cells that include an exogenous nucleic acid encoding ETV2 transcription factor under conditions that express exogenous ETV2 protein in the endothelial cell to vascularize the organoid or decellularized organ.