Kim Jong Bin, Wang Jinghui, Chi Yinding, Wu Jingxian, Ng Alicia, Qiao Guanda, Tan Honglin, Janowski Miroslaw, Walczak Piotr, Liang Yajie, Yang Shu
Department of Material Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, 3231 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201 USA.
bioRxiv. 2025 Sep 7:2025.09.03.673980. doi: 10.1101/2025.09.03.673980.
Current preclinical models of ischemic stroke in mice do not permit simultaneous and continuous in vivo brain imaging during the peri-stroke period, therefore missing critical pathophysiological events that could be pivotal for stroke management at the early stage. Here we report remote control of the blood flow of cerebral arteries in live mice continuously at different states to induce stroke in a precise, reliable, and reversible manner. The sub-millimeter scale micro-balloons can expand more than four times their initial diameter, featuring a monolithic elastomeric wall with selectively stiffened regions for controlled inflation and elasticity depending on the target vessels. By allowing for the control of common carotid artery diameter through a cuff pressing against the artery, the micro-balloon recapitulates clinically relevant haemodynamics in a mouse model of global brain ischemia, evidenced by real-time imaging of the brain through intravital microscopy and magnetic resonance imaging. The presented micro-balloons hold significant potential to improve the treatment of stroke patients for minimally invasive intervention and in vivo imaging of the pathophysiological events in the peri-stroke phase.
目前小鼠缺血性中风的临床前模型不允许在中风发作期间同时进行连续的体内脑成像，因此遗漏了可能对早期中风管理至关重要的关键病理生理事件。在此，我们报告了在不同状态下连续远程控制活体小鼠脑动脉血流，以精确、可靠且可逆的方式诱导中风。亚毫米级微球囊可扩张至初始直径的四倍以上，其整体弹性壁具有选择性硬化区域，可根据目标血管控制充气和弹性。通过用袖带压迫动脉来控制颈总动脉直径，微球囊在全脑缺血小鼠模型中重现了临床相关的血流动力学，通过活体显微镜和磁共振成像对大脑进行实时成像得到了证实。所展示的微球囊在改善中风患者的微创干预治疗以及中风发作期病理生理事件的体内成像方面具有巨大潜力。
