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Ganizada BH, Reesink KD, Parikh S, Ramaekers MJFG, Akbulut AC, Saraber PJMH, Debeij GP, Jaminon AM, Natour E, Lorusso R, Wildberger JE, Mees B, Schurink GW, Jacobs MJ, Cleutjens J, Krapels I, Gombert A, Maessen JG, Accord R, Delhaas T, Schalla S, Schurgers LJ, Bidar E. The Maastricht Acquisition Platform for Studying Mechanisms of Cell-Matrix Crosstalk (MAPEX): An Interdisciplinary and Systems Approach towards Understanding Thoracic Aortic Disease. Biomedicines 2023; 11:2095. [PMID: 37626592 PMCID: PMC10452257 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11082095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Current management guidelines for ascending thoracic aortic aneurysms (aTAA) recommend intervention once ascending or sinus diameter reaches 5-5.5 cm or shows a growth rate of >0.5 cm/year estimated from echo/CT/MRI. However, many aTAA dissections (aTAAD) occur in vessels with diameters below the surgical intervention threshold of <55 mm. Moreover, during aTAA repair surgeons observe and experience considerable variations in tissue strength, thickness, and stiffness that appear not fully explained by patient risk factors. To improve the understanding of aTAA pathophysiology, we established a multi-disciplinary research infrastructure: The Maastricht acquisition platform for studying mechanisms of tissue-cell crosstalk (MAPEX). The explicit scientific focus of the platform is on the dynamic interactions between vascular smooth muscle cells and extracellular matrix (i.e., cell-matrix crosstalk), which play an essential role in aortic wall mechanical homeostasis. Accordingly, we consider pathophysiological influences of wall shear stress, wall stress, and smooth muscle cell phenotypic diversity and modulation. Co-registrations of hemodynamics and deep phenotyping at the histological and cell biology level are key innovations of our platform and are critical for understanding aneurysm formation and dissection at a fundamental level. The MAPEX platform enables the interpretation of the data in a well-defined clinical context and therefore has real potential for narrowing existing knowledge gaps. A better understanding of aortic mechanical homeostasis and its derangement may ultimately improve diagnostic and prognostic possibilities to identify and treat symptomatic and asymptomatic patients with existing and developing aneurysms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berta H. Ganizada
- Departments of Cardiothoracic Surgery, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Heart and Vascular Center, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands; (B.H.G.)
- Department of Biochemistry, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Heart and Vascular Center, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Koen D. Reesink
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Heart and Vascular Center, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Shaiv Parikh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Heart and Vascular Center, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Mitch J. F. G. Ramaekers
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Heart and Vascular Center, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Department of Cardiology, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Heart and Vascular Center, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Asim C. Akbulut
- Department of Biochemistry, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Heart and Vascular Center, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Stem Cell Research University Maastricht Facility, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Pepijn J. M. H. Saraber
- Department of Biochemistry, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Heart and Vascular Center, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Heart and Vascular Center, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Gijs P. Debeij
- Departments of Cardiothoracic Surgery, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Heart and Vascular Center, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands; (B.H.G.)
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Heart and Vascular Center, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - MUMC-TAA Student Team
- Departments of Cardiothoracic Surgery, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Heart and Vascular Center, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands; (B.H.G.)
| | - Armand M. Jaminon
- Department of Biochemistry, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Heart and Vascular Center, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Ehsan Natour
- Departments of Cardiothoracic Surgery, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Heart and Vascular Center, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands; (B.H.G.)
| | - Roberto Lorusso
- Departments of Cardiothoracic Surgery, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Heart and Vascular Center, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands; (B.H.G.)
| | - Joachim E. Wildberger
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Heart and Vascular Center, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Barend Mees
- Department of Vascular Surgery, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Heart and Vascular Center, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Geert Willem Schurink
- Department of Vascular Surgery, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Heart and Vascular Center, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Michael J. Jacobs
- Department of Vascular Surgery, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Heart and Vascular Center, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Jack Cleutjens
- Department of Pathology, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Heart and Vascular Center, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Ingrid Krapels
- Department of Clinical Genetics, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Heart and Vascular Center, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Alexander Gombert
- Department of Vascular Surgery, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Jos G. Maessen
- Departments of Cardiothoracic Surgery, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Heart and Vascular Center, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands; (B.H.G.)
| | - Ryan Accord
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Center for Congenital Heart Diseases, University Medical Center Groningen, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Tammo Delhaas
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Heart and Vascular Center, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Simon Schalla
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Heart and Vascular Center, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Department of Cardiology, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Heart and Vascular Center, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Leon J. Schurgers
- Department of Biochemistry, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Heart and Vascular Center, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Stem Cell Research University Maastricht Facility, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Institute of Experimental Medicine and Systems Biology, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Elham Bidar
- Departments of Cardiothoracic Surgery, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Heart and Vascular Center, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands; (B.H.G.)
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