PolNet

PolNet enables quantitative analysis of endothelial cell polarity and hemodynamics across entire in vivo vascular networks to study blood flow–driven vascular morphogenesis.

Key Features:

• Image acquisition, segmentation, and analysis protocol: Provides a protocol for acquiring images, segmenting vascular structures, and quantifying endothelial cell polarity across extensive vascular networks.
• Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD): Integrates computational fluid dynamics to characterize hemodynamics within reconstructed vascular networks.
• Network-level analysis: Performs network-level analyses that link flow metrics to individual endothelial cell polarity and position within the vascular mesh.
• Correlation with cellular and molecular observations: Enables correlation of blood flow dynamics with cellular and molecular experimental observations.

Scientific Applications:

• Endothelial cell polarization and migration: Quantifies endothelial cell polarity and migration patterns in relation to local hemodynamic conditions.
• Vascular patterning and development: Investigates mechanisms underlying vascular development by combining polarity measurements with flow characterization.
• Normal and pathological vessel formation: Explores interactions between cellular polarity and hemodynamic forces to provide insight into normal and pathological morphogenesis.

Methodology:

Image acquisition, segmentation and image analysis combined with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling of flow within reconstructed vascular networks.