Abstract
We present an extracellular matrix (FCM)-based stretchable microfluidic system for in vitro three-dimensional (3D) tissue culture, which mimics the in vivo blood vessels. The target cells (ex. endothelial cells (ECs)) can be cultured with perfusion and stretch simultaneously in our proposed system. Our ECM (collagen) -based microfluidic device was fabricated by dissolving water-soluble sacrificial molds fabricated with 3D printer. We demonstrated perfusion and stretch of collagen microfluidic devices with culturing human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), showing that the cultured cells were stretched along the expansion of the collagen microchannel. We believe that our collagen-based microfluidic stretch system could be a useful tool for understanding the mechanisms of vascular tissue formation and mechanotransduction.