Human Blood Vessels on Chips to Study Viral Disease
MAVoC brings academic researchers together with organ-on-chip company MIMETAS to create a human, animal-free model for studying viral disease. The project is co-financed by Proefdiervrij, which supports research methods that replace both animal experiments and animal-derived components. The partners will build tiny living blood vessels on laboratory chips and add first-responder immune cells. The model will reveal how viruses damage vessel walls, cause inflammation and leakage, and respond to antiviral and anti-inflammatory treatments.
Viral infections can cause severe illness by damaging blood vessels, leading to inflammation, fluid build-up and sometimes life-threatening bleeding. Yet most infection research still relies on animals, whose immune and vascular responses do not fully reflect those of humans. Existing human cell models are promising but often lack working blood vessels and immune cells. Macrophages are especially important because they detect infection early and influence inflammation and blood-vessel leakage. A more complete human model is therefore needed to improve understanding of viral disease, reduce animal use and support better treatments.
The team will grow blood-vessel and supporting cells from human stem cells in MIMETAS OrganoPlate technology, then add macrophages. Researchers will study human coronaviruses and mpox virus, followed by yellow fever virus. They will measure virus growth, inflammation and damage to the vessel barrier, and test medicines alone and in combination. The platform will be suitable for specialised laboratories and consistent, large-scale experiments.
The project will deliver a reproducible blood-vessel-on-chip model containing human immune cells, new knowledge about virus-induced vascular damage, and evidence on promising treatment strategies. It will also provide practical methods for future infection studies and drug development. Ultimately, MAVoC aims to improve prediction of human responses and accelerate treatments for severe viral disease.
