Engineered capillaries model traffic in tiny blood vessels

3D microvessels have been created to observe how red blood cells transit ultra-small blood vessels. They squeeze single-file through microvessels to bring oxygen and nutrients. Red cells burdened with malaria stall, blocking the blood vessel. The platform is expected to have other uses in studies of how microvascular damage occurs in diabetes and sickle cell anemia. They might be further developed to supply blood circulation to organ repair patches or to 3D printed transplants.