High resolution imaging and analysis of endothelial tubulogenesis and blood vessel formation

摘要: The process of angiogenesis in which new blood vessels form from pre-existing vessels, can be intensively studied through the use \(in\) \(vitro\) and \(vivo\) models. co-culture tube formation assay is used to assess ability endothelial cells develop into three dimensional tubular structures mimics growth capillaries. Different fluorescent labelling techniques were developed utilised alongside confocal microscopy visualise tubulogenesis investigate mechanisms lumenogenesis. Imaging actin cytoskeletal organisation by expressing lifeact peptide conjugated proteins revealed that Factin fibres outline lumens within tubules enabled clear visualisation filopodia formation. Further studies presented this thesis aimed develop, test evaluate computational tools for analysing sprouting fluorescently labelled spheroids generated using hanging drop spheroid quantify vessel zebrafish model. results confirmed both analysis able rapidly a wide range angiogenic images comparable frequently manual methods. are user friendly effects inhibitor compounds silencing vascular related genes.