Fig. 1. Dermal perivascular microenvironment on a chip. At the top, a graphical representation of the in vivo dermal perivascular microenvironment is shown. Dermal fibroblasts constitute an intricate ECM network, supporting endothelial cells that constitute a blood capillary providing oxygen to the surrounding dermis. The interstitial flow and oxygen concentration gradient (triangle with color scale) are responsible for providing mechanical and chemical stimuli to the tissue. At the bottom, this model is experimentally reproduced in vitro within the miniaturized optically accessible bioreactor's (MOAB) chambers by combining the use of 3D cell culture microscaffolds, and controlled physiological fluid dynamics and mass transport conditions, predicted by finite element computational modelling, mimicking those occurring during in vivo angiogenesis within the dermis.
