Journal article
Microengineering of the capillary interface of midbrain dopaminergic neurons to study Parkinson's disease vascular alterations
Communications engineering, v 5(1), Forthcoming
10 Jan 2026
PMID: 41520093
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Parkinson's Disease (PD) involves not only α-synuclein pathology in dopaminergic neurons but also vascular impairments that remain underexplored due to limitations of traditional in vitro models. Here we present a microengineered 3D neurovascular midbrain model that reconstructs the capillary interface of substantia nigra dopaminergic neurons. In our proof-of-concept demonstration, we successfully recapitulated neuronal pathology in PD, including α-synuclein aggregation, inflammatory responses, and progressive neuronal degeneration, by exposing our model to specially generated PD-associated α-synuclein preformed-fibrils. Importantly, this engineering approach also enables the investigation of progressive vascular abnormalities in PD, such as endothelial dysfunction, barrier disruption, vascular regression, and the resulting impairment of blood flow. Our PD model establishes a tractable platform for investigating the multifaceted nature of the disease and understanding the complex interplay between neurodegeneration and vascular pathology, offering a unique tool for developing innovative therapeutic strategies that address both the neuronal and vascular components of PD pathology.
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Details
- Title
- Microengineering of the capillary interface of midbrain dopaminergic neurons to study Parkinson's disease vascular alterations
- Creators
- Anika Alim - Binghamton UniversityYoongyeong Baek - Drexel UniversityMyungwoon Lee - Drexel UniversityJungwook Paek (Corresponding Author) - Binghamton University
- Publication Details
- Communications engineering, v 5(1), Forthcoming
- Publisher
- Nature Publishing Group
- Number of pages
- 15
- Grant note
- 1R21NS139178-01 / U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | National Institutes of Health (NIH) ADLG258 / SUNY | Binghamton University TAE 1182867 / SUNY | Binghamton University
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Chemistry
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:001685489800002
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-105029573894
- Other Identifier
- 991022153553804721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Engineering, Multidisciplinary