Our research explores how mechanical cues instruct the fate of endothelial cells during development, for which we combine human-induced pluripotent stem cell differentiation with fluidic-mediated mechanical stimulation. Endothelial cells are constantly exposed to the movement of blood, so important signals are missed out in static culture, which makes this the main challenge in studying endothelial cell biology using traditional culture systems. Mechanical cues, in fact, activate many crucial signaling pathways that might be overlooked in cells cultured in static conditions.
Our protocol provides an easy, step-by-step guide on how to differentiate and mechanically stimulate induced pluripotent stem-cell-derived endothelial cells. This will help many laboratories in adopting a thermic culture to easily address questions about endothelial cell behavior while under flow.
