# Painting Vasculature with Photosensitive Liposomes

> **NIH NIH R21** · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN · 2020 · $194,530

## Abstract

Abstract
A functional vascular system is essential for the formation and maintenance of most tissues in the body. The
lack of vascularization results in ischemic tissues with limited intrinsic regeneration capacity. Therefore, the ability
to engineer vascular networks holds great promise in many therapeutic applications.
Biomaterials can play a significant role in this process by presenting tuneable cues that can mimic the native
microenvironment. However, the ability to control vascular development in a spatiotemporally-programmed
manner remains a critical hurdle in this field. To this aim, we propose personalized and controlled tissue
engineered neovascularization as a minimally invasive, clinically viable alternative for ischemia therapy. Our
approach combines induced pluripotent stem cell-derived vascular progenitor cells (iPSC-VPCs) and
light triggered release of growth factor (GF) from injectable hydrogels tailored to promote angiogenesis
and vasculogenesis. To precisely control the induction of vasculogenesis in ischemic tissue, we propose
synthesizing photosensitive gold nanoparticle conjugated liposomes that will release GF upon light
modulation. We hypothesize that conjugating gold nanoparticles with different geometries to the membrane of
multilamellar liposomes will create photosensitive microcarriers that are capable of rapidly delivering
macromolecules, each at its corresponding resonance absorbance wavelength. By varying the two photon (2P)
laser excitation wavelength, we will be able to actively and precisely control the spatiotemporal release of GF,
allowing us to print in situ cues for blood vessel formation using light patterning. In Aim 1 we will generate
photosensitive liposomes and ascertain spatiotemporal GF release via 2P light patterning. In Aim 2 we will
demonstrate our light based ability to modulate iPSC-VPC vasculogenesis first in vitro and then in vivo in a dorsal
skin fold chamber model in mice.
The creation of light triggerable GF release system will allow us to print in situ cues for blood vessel formation
using light patterning and enable precise control over formation of vasculature in 3D tissues. Such a system
with superior precision and control of biophysical and spatiotemporal parameters has the potential to
revolutionize current methods for creating vascularized tissue for therapy and disease modeling.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10019353
- **Project number:** 5R21EB027812-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN
- **Principal Investigator:** Janeta Zoldan
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $194,530
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-09-16 → 2022-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10019353

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10019353, Painting Vasculature with Photosensitive Liposomes (5R21EB027812-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10019353. Licensed CC0.

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