[Biological vascularized matrix (BioVaM): a new method for solving the perfusion problems in tissue engineering]

A new technique is presented to harvest an acellular matrix from a porcine small bowel segment preserving the mesenteric arterial and venous pedicles. Reseeding of this biological vascularized matrix (BioVaM) with functional cells, i.e. smooth muscle and urothelial cells isolated from the urinary tract, and resurfacing of its vascular structures with endothelial precursor cells results in a vascularized tissue engineered graft for reconstruction and augmentation of the urinary bladder. First promising short term implantation experiments using a porcine model for the evaluation of early graft perfusion after vascular anastomosis are presented.