3D Coculture of Human Endothelial Cells and Myofibroblasts for Vascular Tissue Engineering

Author(s):  
Rolf A. A. Pullens ◽  
Maria Stekelenburg ◽  
Carlijn V. C. Bouten ◽  
Frank P. T. Baaijens ◽  
Mark J. Post

Cardiovascular disease is still the number one cause of death in the industrialized world. Diseased small diameter blood vessels are frequently replaced by native grafts. However, these vessels have a limited life time [1], for example the patency at 10 year after coronary artery bypass grafting of saphenous vein grafts is 57% [2]. Tissue engineering (TE) of small diameter blood vessels seems a promising approach to overcome these shortcomings or address the increasing need for substitutes during follow up surgery. Mechanical conditioning of myofibroblast (MFs) seeded constructs appears to be beneficial for functional tissue properties, such as cell proliferation, ECM production and mechanical strength [3,4]. Without a functional endothelial cell (ECs) layer however, patency may be compromised by thrombogenecity. Construction of an EC layer might on the other hand affect the tissue composition during culture, as was shown for bovine ECs, which influenced proliferation and ECM production of smooth muscle cells [5].

2010 ◽  
Vol 88 (9) ◽  
pp. 855-873 ◽  
Author(s):  
Divya Pankajakshan ◽  
Devendra K. Agrawal

Tissue engineering of small diameter (<5 mm) blood vessels is a promising approach for developing viable alternatives to autologous vascular grafts. It involves in vitro seeding of cells onto a scaffold on which the cells attach, proliferate, and differentiate while secreting the components of extracellular matrix that are required for creating the tissue. The scaffold should provide the initial requisite mechanical strength to withstand in vivo hemodynamic forces until vascular smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts reinforce the extracellular matrix of the vessel wall. Hence, the choice of scaffold is crucial for providing guidance cues to the cells to behave in the required manner to produce tissues and organs of the desired shape and size. Several types of scaffolds have been used for the reconstruction of blood vessels. They can be broadly classified as biological scaffolds, decellularized matrices, and polymeric biodegradable scaffolds. This review focuses on the different types of scaffolds that have been designed, developed, and tested for tissue engineering of blood vessels, including use of stem cells in vascular tissue engineering.


Author(s):  
Jinah Jang ◽  
Junghyuk Ko ◽  
Dong-Woo Cho ◽  
Martin B. G. Jun ◽  
Deok-Ho Kim

Development of a small-diameter vascular graft (<6 mm) have been challenging due to thrombosis and intimal hyperplasia [1]. To overcome this problem, cardiovascular tissue engineers have attempted to construct a highly porous and biocompatible fibrous scaffold providing a sufficient mechanical strength for the regeneration of a functional tissue [2–5]. Herein, we present a 3D tubular-shaped micro/nanofibrous composite-layered scaffold for vascular tissue engineering. The surface of scaffold has high surface roughness by introducing nanofibrous layer and the biophysical properties have been fulfilled by using microfibrous layer. Moreover, the atomized spraying technique is applied to spray elastin proteins, which is well known as an antithrombogenic material, on the surface of micro/nanofibrous composite-layered scaffold to introduce an appropriate antithrombogenic surface.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valentina Catto ◽  
Silvia Farè ◽  
Giuliano Freddi ◽  
Maria Cristina Tanzi

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of mortality around the globe. The development of a functional and appropriate substitute for small diameter blood vessel replacement is still a challenge to overcome the main drawbacks of autografts and the inadequate performances of synthetic prostheses made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET, Dacron) and expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE, Goretex). Therefore, vascular tissue engineering has become a promising approach for small diameter blood vessel regeneration as demonstrated by the increasing interest dedicated to this field. This review is focused on the most relevant and recent studies concerning vascular tissue engineering for small diameter blood vessel applications. Specifically, the present work reviews research on the development of tissue-engineered vascular grafts made of decellularized matrices and natural and/or biodegradable synthetic polymers and their realization without scaffold.


2007 ◽  
Vol 362 (1484) ◽  
pp. 1293-1312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cay M Kielty ◽  
Simon Stephan ◽  
Michael J Sherratt ◽  
Matthew Williamson ◽  
C. Adrian Shuttleworth

For the treatment of vascular disease, the major cause of death in Western society, there is an urgent need for tissue-engineered, biocompatible, small calibre artery substitutes that restore biological function. Vascular tissue engineering of such grafts involves the development of compliant synthetic or biomaterial scaffolds that incorporate vascular cells and extracellular matrix. Elastic fibres are major structural elements of arterial walls that can enhance vascular graft design and patency. In blood vessels, they endow vessels with the critical property of elastic recoil. They also influence vascular cell behaviour through direct interactions and by regulating growth factor activation. This review addresses physiological elastic fibre assembly and contributions to vessel structure and function, and how elastic fibre biology is now being exploited in small diameter vascular graft design.


2009 ◽  
Vol 113 (4) ◽  
pp. 2675-2682 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shudong Wang ◽  
Youzhu Zhang ◽  
Guibo Yin ◽  
Hongwei Wang ◽  
Zhihui Dong

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