Engineering Neurovascular Unit and Blood-Brain Barrier for Ischemic Stroke Modeling

Ischemic stroke is a primary vascular disease of the central nervous system characterized by high morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. As conventional ischemic stroke models fail to predict therapeutic efficacy, in vitro neurovascular unit (NVU)/blood-brain barrier (BBB) models are utilized to model ischemic stroke through replicating the cell-cell interactions and mimicking the blood flow and anatomical features of the brain. Here, an overview of transwell, microfluidic, and hydrogel-based NVU/BBB models is provided, including cell types, engineering approaches, and the simulation of physiological and pathological features of NVU/BBB after ischemic stroke. Collectively, recent advances in 3D-printed NVU models are emphasized, which are anticipated to be a promising system for more reliable mechanistic studies and preclinical drug screenings that can eventually accelerate the drug development process for the ischemic stroke therapy.

Automated summary

Ischemic stroke is a vascular disease of the central nervous system with high morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. In vitro neurovascular unit (NVU)/blood-brain barrier (BBB) models are used to mimic ischemic stroke and replicate cell-cell interactions, blood flow, and brain anatomical features. This article provides an overview of transwell, microfluidic, and hydrogel-based NVU/BBB models, including cell types, engineering approaches, and simulation of physiological and pathological features. The recent advances in 3D-printed NVU models are emphasized as a promising system for mechanistic studies and drug screenings for ischemic stroke therapy.