Implantation of engineered human microvasculature to study human infectious diseases in mouse models

Sophia Schönherr-Hellec; Eirini Chatzopoulou; Jean-Philippe Barnier; Yoann Atlas; Sébastien Dupichaud; Thomas Guilbert; Yves Dupraz; Julie Meyer; Catherine Chaussain; Caroline Gorin; Xavier Nassif; Stephane Germain; Laurent Muller; Mathieu Coureuil

doi:10.1016/j.isci.2023.106286

Implantation of engineered human microvasculature to study human infectious diseases in mouse models

iScience. 2023 Feb 27;26(4):106286. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106286. eCollection 2023 Apr 21.

Authors

Sophia Schönherr-Hellec^{1

2}, Eirini Chatzopoulou³, Jean-Philippe Barnier^{1

2}, Yoann Atlas^{4

5}, Sébastien Dupichaud⁶, Thomas Guilbert⁷, Yves Dupraz⁴, Julie Meyer^{1

2}, Catherine Chaussain^{3

8}, Caroline Gorin^{3

8}, Xavier Nassif^{1

2}, Stephane Germain⁴, Laurent Muller⁴, Mathieu Coureuil^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Université Paris Cité, UFR de Médecine, Paris, France.
² Institut Necker Enfants-Malades, Inserm U1151, CNRS UMR 8253, Paris, France.
³ Université Paris Cité, UPR2496 Pathologies, Imagerie et Biothérapies Orofaciales et Plateforme Imagerie du Vivant, UFR Odontologie, Paris, France.
⁴ Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), College de France, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Research University, Paris, France.
⁵ Sorbonne Université, Collège doctoral, Paris, France.
⁶ Cell Imaging Platform, Structure Fédérative de Recherche Necker INSERM US24/CNRS UMS3633, Paris, France.
⁷ Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR 8104, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France.
⁸ AP-HP, Services Médecines bucco-dentaire (GH Paris Sud-Sorbonne Université, Paris Nord-Université Paris Cité), Paris, France.

Abstract

Animal models for studying human pathogens are crucially lacking. We describe the implantation in mice of engineered human mature microvasculature consisting of endothelial and perivascular cells embedded in collagen hydrogel that allows investigation of pathogen interactions with the endothelium, including in vivo functional studies. Using Neisseria meningitidis as a paradigm of human-restricted infection, we demonstrated the strength and opportunities associated with the use of this approach.

Keywords: Bioengineering; Biological sciences; Cell biology; Microbiology.