“Replacing animal models of thrombosis with Vein-Chip: A case study evaluating SARS-CoV-2-induced thrombosis and mechanical therapeutics”

Jason Eades, a Ph.D. candidate at Texas A&M University, has received IFER funding from 2022-2024 for his project, “Replacing animal models of thrombosis with Vein-Chip: A case study evaluating SARS-CoV-2-induced thrombosis and mechanical therapeutics.” Jason plans to use the vein chip developed in his lab as a preclinical nonanimal model to better understand why some individuals infected with coronavirus develop blood clotting conditions, like deep vein thrombosis. Animal models lack the cell surface receptors important for attachment and invasion of the coronavirus. Jason’s lab has developed a vein chip model in which blood vessel cells can be cultured with proteins they would normally interact with in the body. Fluids, like patient blood, can be circulated through the device at different flow rates to mimic normal and pathological conditions. Jason will introduce an inactivated version of the virus, as well as structural proteins of the virus, and cytokines normally found with virus infection, to the vein chip and will use proteomic and transcriptomic approaches to better understand the impact of the virus on blood vessel cells and blood clot formation. He will also use the device to study the impact of compression therapy for thrombosis.