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US 2007/0190648 A1Published application
Microaggregates including endothelial cells
OwnerLarry Weisenthalinventor
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Abstract
Microaggregates which mimic the native environment of cells contained in biopsied tissue are used to assess and predict the effects of various treatments on the viability of cell types contained in the microaggregate.
Claims20
An isolated microaggregate comprised of at least viable endothelial cells and natively surrounding viable non-endothelial cells which microaggregate is displayed on a surface suitable for microscopic observation.
A method to determine the effect of a treatment on viability of cells in a microaggregate, which method comprises
- contacting a composition comprising at least one microaggregate comprised of at least viable endothelial cells and natively surrounding viable non-endothelial cells with said treatment and
- observing by microscopic observation the effect of said treatment on the viability of cells in said microaggregate.
A method to identify an agent that specifically effects the death of endothelial cells, which method comprises
- treating a microaggregate comprised of at least viable endothelial cells and natively surrounding viable non-endothelial cells with a candidate agent;
- allowing sufficient time for said agent to exert an effect;
- treating the microaggregate with a first dye that is excluded from viable cells;
- and
- observing the uptake or lack of uptake of said dye by the cells of the microaggregate;
- whereby an agent that effects uptake of said dye in the endothelial cells of the microaggregate but not the surrounding cells of the microaggregate is identified as an agent that specifically effects the death of endothelial cells.
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.