Endothelial cells in the body normally exist in an environment where they are continuously exposed to the frictional force of the blood flow, called shear stress. Shear stress is a crucial regulator of endothelial cell function in physiological conditions, and disturbed flow and altered shear stress are related to pathologies such as atherosclerosis or thrombosis. Endothelial cells sense shear stress through various receptors and transmit the mechanical shear stress stimuli into intracellular signaling, leading to functional and phenotypic cell changes.

For understanding the physiological conditions in vivo, it is essential to study in vitro models under shear stress. The ibidi Pump System enables the culture and study of endothelial cell function under various shear stress conditions, to address questions including:

• development of the vasculature 
• maintenance of vascular homeostasis
• pathogenesis of vascular disease

In this webinar, we will discuss fluidic wall shear stress and different flow patterns, highlighting the physical background and calculation basics. We will also address application examples and flow conditions that can be studied using the ibidi Pump System.