Effect of crosslinking by factor XIIIa on the migration of vascular smooth muscle cells into fibrin gels.

We evaluated the migration of vascular smooth muscle cells into crosslinked fibrin gels, using an in vitro assay system. Vascular smooth muscle cells from bovine fetal aorta migrated into non-crosslinked and crosslinked fibrin gels and showed a characteristic elongated spindle-shaped appearance with long cytoplasmic processes. The cells displayed two-fold increase in migration into crosslinked fibrin gels compared to non-crosslinked gels, suggesting the importance of fibrin crosslinking by factor XIIIa on its three-dimensional structure for the migration of smooth muscle cells.