Engineering the Hematopoietic Vascular Niche on a Chip

Scientists have developed a groundbreaking bioengineered platform that mimics the human bone marrow environment in vitro. This three-dimensional microphysiological system combines self-organizing hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells with vascular endothelial cells to create vascularized, perfusable tissue constructs resembling the hematopoietic vascular niche. The system supports multilineage hematopoiesis, generating mature myeloid cells capable of mobilizing into perfused vessels, offering a model for innate immune cell dynamics. Applications include simulating bone marrow injury from ionizing radiation and modeling acute immune responses to bacterial lung infections. The platform also integrates automated experimentation for large-scale preclinical testing, including assessing myelotoxic effects of anti-cancer drugs, marking a significant advancement in hematopoietic and immune system research.