The biophysics and mechanics of blood from a materials perspective

Abstract

Cells actively interact with their microenvironment, constantly sensing and modulating biochemical and biophysical signals. Blood comprises a variety of non-adherent cells that interact with each other and with endothelial and vascular smooth muscle cells of the blood vessel walls. Blood cells are further experiencing a range of external forces by the hemodynamic environment and they also exert forces to remodel their local environment. Therefore, the biophysics and material properties of blood cells and blood play an important role in determining blood behaviour in health and disease. In this Review, we discuss blood cells and tissues from a materials perspective, considering the mechanical properties and biophysics of individual blood cells and endothelial cells as well as blood cell collectives. We highlight how blood vessels provide a mechanosensitive barrier between blood and tissues and how changes in vessel stiffness and flow shear stress can be correlated to plaque formation and exploited for the design of vascular grafts. We discuss the effect of the properties of fibrin on blood clotting, and investigate how forces exerted by platelets are correlated to disease. Finally, we hypothesize that blood and vascular cells are constantly establishing a mechanical homeostasis, which, when imbalanced, can lead to hematologic and vascular diseases.

Melanoma in the Eyes of Mechanobiology

“…All maintain the mechanical equilibrium in a healthy state. If this equilibrium is lost, it will contribute to the appearance of hematological or vascular diseases (Qiu et al, 2019). Several techniques can be used to measure the mechanical properties of blood fluid, blood cells, and tissues in contact with blood and adherent cells to blood vessels.…”

Beyond the qualitative description of complex magnetic nanoparticle arrays using FORC measurement

“…Advancement of nanotechnology has extensively expedited the emergence of novel magnetic nanostructures, such as magnetic nanowires (MNWs), in various research areas, including medical treatment [1][2][3][4][5], environmental science [6,7], and quantum devices [8][9][10][11][12]. These magnetic nanostructures have opened numerous opportunities for scientists in different disciplines such as nanomedicine, molecular biology [13][14][15][16], applied physics, and nanostructured materials [17][18][19][20][21][22]. In all of these applications, it is crucial to know the characteristics of the magnetic nanostructures, which may inhibit or enhance their use depending on the application.…”

Vascularized Microfluidics and the Blood–Endothelium Interface

“…One limitation of these vascularized microfluidic models of malaria, and indeed vascularized microfluidic models in general, is their inability to maintain physiologic barrier function long-term (weeks to months) so that both endothelial dysfunction and restoration of barrier function can be investigated. In an effort to address this shortcoming and apply it to the investigation of both malaria and sickle cell disease (SCD), Qiu et al [104] employed an agarose-gelatin interpenetrating polymer network (IPN), which confers the advantages of tight control of microvascular size and flow dynamics as well as long-term culturing with physiologically relevant endothelial permeability [105]. The role of the ESL in malaria has also been explored using vascularized microfluidics, specifically investigating the role of the endothelial glycocalyx in the adherence of Plasmodium falciparum infected red blood cells (PfRBC).…”