Blackman Lab • University of Virginia •  Department of Biomedical Engineering • 415 Lane Road • MR-5 Room, 2226 • Charlottesville, VA 22908 USA
Research Research Research Devices Research Specialized Research Models and Equipment ❉
The Blackman Lab uses specialized fluid dynamic “flow” devices to emulate hemodynamic (i.e., blood flow) derived shear stress profiles from the human circulation on human endothelial cells (ECs) in culture and EC-smooth muscle cells (SMCs) in co-culture.  Our main paradigm is comparing the response of EC or EC/SMC function and phenotype to atheroprotective versus atheroprone shear stress flow profiles.  In Gelfand et al, we have characterized the near wall shear stress patterns from the human carotid circulation using phase contrast MRI methods.  Hemodynamics from common carotid artery (CCA) is free from the development of atherosclerosis and therefore atheroprotective, whereas the hemodynamics in the sinus of the internal carotid artery (ICS) is a region highly prevalent to the development of the disease and therefore considered as atheroprone. Comparing the response of vascular cells to these flow patterns allows us to re-calibrate to the in vivo  EC/SMC phenotype and identify proteins/genes involved in the protection from or susceptibility to atherosclerosis
Gelfand et al JMRI 2006
Blackman et al JBME 2002
Simmers et al AJP-Cell Physiol 2007
Microscope Mounted Flow Device In combination with imaging software and custom algorithms, the device is designed to visualize, track, record, measure, and analyze the migratory and morphological characteristics of individual cells within a confluent endothelium in real time under any flow condition. BenchTop Flow Device & HemoShear Co-culture Flow Device
Hastings et al AJP-Cell Physiol 2007
Flow Device + Permeability Assay The device is designed to apply hemodynamic inspired shear stress patterns on endothelial monocultures or endothelial/smooth muscle cell co-cultures (a.k.a. HemoShear) to examine the role of shear stress on the phenotypic modulation of these cells and the mechanisms by which these response occur in early atherosclerosis. Our devices (i.e., HemoShear) can accept porous transwells to measure the permeability barrier of the endothelium within the context of the flow environment and other additional stimuli. Current methods assess the transport of HRP and other tagged molecules across the endothelial/porous membrane layers. Orr et al J Cell Biol 2007 Home News Research Publications People Laboratory of Atherogenesis Endothelial Cell Shared Facility
ICS