Researchers show how blood vessels regroup after stroke Growth
factors released by oxygen-starved cells prompt nearby
endothelial cells, which line blood vessels, to grow into new
networks. Researchers at Rice University are working to
understand how to direct the process in the brains of stroke and
disease patients. Credit: Qutub Lab/Rice University Rice
scientists simulate "robot" cells to study the development of
microvascular systems in the brain. The goal is to find a way to
direct the development of vessels that feed oxygen-starved cells
in stroke and neurodegenerative disease patients. By thinking of
cells as programmable robots, researchers at Rice University
hope to someday direct how they grow into the tiny blood vessels
that feed the brain and help people regain functions lost to
stroke and disease. Rice bioengineer Amina Qutub and her
colleagues simulate patterns of microvasculature cell growth and
compare the results with real networks grown in their lab.
Eventually, they want to develop the abil