Coculture assays allow the investigation of the role of endothelial cell and mural cell interactions in small vessel development and function. Different setups for coculture can be used to assay questions of interest. We include here methods for direct coculture, indirect coculture, and coculture in a three-dimensional extracellular matrix scaffold for studies of either a simple and direct association between the two cell types, the exchange of soluble molecules, or the interaction within a biomimetic tissue microenvironment.
Keywords: Angiogenesis; Coculture; Endothelial cells; Intercellular interactions; Juxtacrine; Matrigel; Microvessels; Paracrine; Pericytes; Small intestinal submucosa.