Additive Manufacturing of real-scale carotid artery models: The content-container interaction in sickle cell disease-related cerebral vasculopathy
Sickle cell disease-related cerebral vasculopathy depends on patient-specific vascular geometry and hemodynamics that are not captured by conventional experimental systems or animal models. To address this limitation, we developed an additively manufactured artery scaffold representing the container and integrated it into a controlled fluidic circuit reproducing physiological flow profiles, pressures, and viscosities, the content. Validation with clinical imaging confirmed the anatomical accuracy and flow fidelity of the additively manufactured models. Mechanosensitive cells, including endothelial cells and platelets, were incorporated into the model for biological analysis. This study serves as a proof of concept demonstrating how the Container-Content model can enhance the mechanistic understanding of vascular biology under physiologically relevant conditions. The ethically responsible platform bridges computational simulations and in vitro experimentation, offering a versatile foundation for investigating cerebrovascular complications in sickle cell disease and advancing the field of personalized medicine.