The Angiogenic Sprouting of Endothelial Cells in Three-dimensional Collagen Gel Matrix

It is well known that angiogenesis is an essential biological event. To understand fully how the blood vessel grows and functions in the angiogenic process, we should consider the construction of in vivo-like environment, such as threedimensional (3D) extracellular matrix (ECM). However, most of in vitro studies of the angiogenesis have been relied on two-dimensional (2D) culture or 3D Matrigel culture platforms, which do not account for the in vivo situations. To overcome these limitations in the studies of the angiogenesis, we used a simple microfluidic method incorporating the 3D ECM into the surrounding endothelial cells (ECs) channel.