# Sex-Specific Angiogenic Responses of Vascular Cells to Simulated Microgravity

> **NIH NIH F31** · UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA · 2023 · $41,883

## Abstract

Project Summary / Abstract
Vascularization has long been a hurdle in the development of tissue engineering, either for therapeutic implants
or biomimetic models. A number of cell, signal, scaffold, and culture techniques and methods have been
investigated for the creation of vascular structures and ultimately networks. In this context, endothelial cells are
a critical cell type, as they comprised the intimal layer of vessels. Is has also been reported that macrophages,
in co-culture with endothelial cells, can provide pro-vascularization effects as signalers and chaperones. Another
strategy for the creation of vascular structures of endothelial cells has been culture in simulated microgravity,
where endothelial cells self-organize into tubules and spheroids, which is not seen under equivalent normal
gravity conditions. Lastly, in the evaluation of endothelial cell responses, vascularization, and even vascular
pathology, sex-differences have been demonstrated, though sex as a biological variable is often not reported or
considered historically in the existing literature. As such, this project aims to (1) investigate the hormonal and
genomic sex-dependent effects of simulated microgravity on endothelial cells regarding key factors of
vascularization, and (2) investigate endothelial cell – macrophage co-culture in simulated microgravity for effects
on keys factors of vascularization, while also considering sex as a biological variable. The experimental design
of this study will evaluate critical aspects of genetic expression and the tubule and spheroid structures formed
from the proposed culture methodology. The data will be evaluated in the context of sex-differences in these
vascular cells. The significance of this work is the development of the unique culture environment represented
by simulated microgravity that has shown promising results in the creation of vascular structures. Further
significance is the insight into sex-differences of vascular cells in the context of tissue engineering and
vascularization. Specifically, the development of novel strategies for producing vascular constructs could
improve existing methods for the creation of implants and biomimetic models, as well as our understanding of
sex-differences for the purposes of more personalized translational and clinical assessment and care.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10606937
- **Project number:** 1F31HL167602-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
- **Principal Investigator:** Christopher M. Ludtka
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $41,883
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2023-08-16 → 2024-08-15

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10606937

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10606937, Sex-Specific Angiogenic Responses of Vascular Cells to Simulated Microgravity (1F31HL167602-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10606937. Licensed CC0.

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