In developing glomeruli, laminin alpha5 replaces laminin alpha1 in the glomerular basement membrane (GBM) at the capillary loop stage, a transition required for glomerulogenesis. To investigate domain-specific functions of laminin alpha5 during glomerulogenesis, we produced transgenic mice that express a chimeric laminin composed of laminin alpha5 domains VI through I fused to the human laminin...

When red blood cells (RBCs) move through narrow capillaries in the microcirculation, they deform as they flow. In pathophysiological processes such as sickle cell disease and malaria, RBC motion and flow are severely restricted. To understand this threshold of occlusion, we use a combination of experiment and theory to study the motion of a single swollen RBC through a narrow glass capillary of...

A key issue in developing strategies against diseases such as cancer is the analysis of the vessel tree in comparison to the healthy one. In the search for parameters that might be characteristic for tumor capillaries we study the vascularization in mice for cancerous and healthy tissues using synchrotron radiation-based micro computed tomography in absorption and phase contrast modes. Our inve...

Joule heating generated by the electrical current in capillary electrophoresis leads to a temperature gradient along the separation channel and consequently affects the separation quality. We describe a method of reducing the Joule heating effect by incorporating photonic crystal fiber into a micro capillary electrophoresis chip. The photonic crystal fiber consists of a bundle of extremely narr...

We study the strong coupling of light and nanoparticle suspensions and their surface tension effect in capillaries. We show experimentally and theoretically that increasing the intensity of a narrow laser beam passing through a capillary far away from the surface results in a significant decrease in the fluid level. The underlying mechanism relies on light-induced redistribution of nanoparticle...

Diffusion resistance hinders the free chemotactic motility of bacteria through narrow tubes and capillaries. In many such situations, diffusion is significant and often subject to environmental perturbations. This problem has been analyzed through the sensitivities of Escherichia coli cells, a secreted chemoattractant (aspartase) and a nutrient. Differences and similarities among the sensitivit...

Cherry angiomas are a common cutaneous vascular proliferation which manifests as single or multiple spots and occurs predominantly on the upper trunk and arms. They typically appear as round-to-oval, bright, red, dome-shaped papules and pinpoint macules measuring up to several millimeters in diameter. The histopathologic findings of a cherry angioma are consistent with a true capillary hemangio...

Mesangial cells organize the glomerular capillaries by adhering to the G domain of laminin alpha5 in the glomerular basement membrane. n developing glomeruli, laminin ␣ 5 replaces laminin ␣ 1 in the glomerular basement membrane (GBM) at the capillary loop stage, a transition required for glomerulogenesis. To investigate domain-specific functions of laminin ␣ 5 during glomerulogenesis, we produc...