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Toward a new blood vessel
Briain D MacNeill1, Irina Pomerantseva, Harry C Lowe
1Division of Cardiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
Insights
Tissue engineering offers a promising solution for creating artificial arteries to treat coronary artery disease, addressing the scarcity of natural arterial grafts and reducing patient morbidity.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Regenerative Medicine
- Cardiovascular Surgery
Background:
- Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is a primary treatment for atherosclerotic coronary artery disease.
- Arterial grafts are superior to venous grafts but are scarce, increasing morbidity and cost.
- Tissue engineering aims to develop biological substitutes to restore tissue function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the history and progress of tissue-engineered arteries.
- To explore techniques and cell sources for developing artificial arterial grafts.
- To discuss the future directions in the field of tissue-engineered vascular grafts.
Main Methods:
- Review of historical data and current research in tissue-engineered vascular grafts.
- Analysis of various techniques used in the development of artificial arteries.
- Exploration of different cell sources for tissue engineering applications.
Main Results:
- Tissue-engineered blood vessels show potential as arterial grafts, conduits, or fistulae.
- Advances in tissue engineering offer solutions to the limitations of traditional CABG.
- The field is progressing towards viable alternatives for vascular reconstruction.
Conclusions:
- Tissue-engineered arteries hold significant promise for improving treatments for coronary artery disease.
- Further research into cell sources and techniques is crucial for clinical translation.
- This field has the potential to revolutionize vascular grafting and reduce healthcare burdens.
Abstract:
Strategies to treat atherosclerotic coronary artery disease include coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), in which grafts are used to bypass atherosclerotic vessels and restore blood flow to the ischemic myocardium. The grafts used include healthy arteries or veins harvested from a separate site. Results with arterial grafts have been superior to venous grafts; promoting the practice of total arterial revascularization using only arterial grafts. Suitable arterial grafts, however, are scarce and harvest procedures add to morbidity and cost. Tissue engineering combines the principles of engineering with life sciences for the development of biological substitutes and restore, maintain or improve tissue function. Advances in this field have included the development of tissue-engineered blood vessels, with the potential to serve as arterial grafts, conduits or fistulae. This review describes the history of tissue engineering arteries, the techniques used, and progress to date. The source of cells and the future direction of this field are explored.