Immortalized smooth muscle cells enhance in vitro vasculogenesis

Abstract

De novo vessel formation (vasculogenesis) in vitro is a key step in tissue engineering to preserve tissue viability for long-term assays and testing therapeutic agents. However, in vitro vasculogenesis is often unreliable due to differences in vascular-supporting cells, including endothelial cells and stromal cells such as smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and fibroblasts. Here, we developed a robust co-culture system of HUVECs and SMCs to generate stable vascular networks capable of maintaining tissue viability over extended periods. Given that SMC plasticity is a major limitation in supporting endothelial network formation, we systematically evaluated the effects of passage number, confluency, and freezing on primary SMC function. To overcome this limitation, we generated immortalized supportive SMCs, which preserved their vasculogenic gene program and functional capacity even at high passage. In addition, we identified and validated key genes associated with endothelial support, including CD248, C3, and FBLN1, all essential for vasculogenesis. Immortalized SMCs consistently maintained expression of these genes and supported robust vessel formation under variable culture conditions. Collectively, this study demonstrates that immortalized SMCs provide a stable, reproducible platform for endothelial-SMC co-cultures, enabling long-term vascularized tumor models suitable for functional studies and therapeutic screening.