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Engineering 3D Cellularized Collagen Gels for Vascular Tissue Regeneration
Published on: June 16, 2015
Bacterial cellulose as a potential vascular graft: Mechanical characterization and constitutive model development
H Zahedmanesh1, J N Mackle, A Sellborn
1School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, Dublin 9.
Summary
Bacterial cellulose (BC) shows mechanical properties and biocompatibility suitable for vascular grafts. This biomaterial mimics human saphenous vein compliance, supporting its use in cardiovascular tissue engineering.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Vascular Tissue Engineering
- Biomechanical Engineering
Background:
- Bacterial cellulose (BC) possesses desirable properties for arterial grafting, including high purity, crystallinity, and a fibrous structure resembling collagen.
- Compliance mismatch in vascular grafts is a key factor in intimal hyperplasia, necessitating mechanical characterization of BC for cardiovascular applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To mechanically characterize bacterial cellulose (BC) for vascular grafting applications.
- To evaluate the potential of BC to support vascular cell integration and function.
- To establish a predictive model for the in situ mechanical behavior of BC grafts.
Main Methods:
- Dynamic compliance tests on BC tubes, compared against native vessels and synthetic grafts.
- Inflation and uniaxial tensile tests to assess mechanical properties.
- In vitro cell culture of bovine smooth muscle and endothelial cells on BC, followed by histological and fluorescent imaging analysis.
- Development of a constitutive model for BC and finite element analysis for in situ mechanical behavior prediction.
Main Results:
- BC tubes demonstrated a compliance response comparable to the human saphenous vein (4.27 × 10⁻² %/mmHg at 30-120 mmHg).
- Histology and fluorescent imaging confirmed good adherence and biocompatibility of vascular cells cultured on BC.
- A constitutive model was determined, enabling finite element analysis to predict BC graft mechanical behavior under physiological conditions.
Conclusions:
- Bacterial cellulose exhibits promising mechanical properties and biocompatibility for vascular tissue engineering.
- BC's compliance profile suggests it is a viable alternative to current vascular grafts, potentially mitigating intimal hyperplasia.
- The developed predictive model aids in understanding and optimizing the performance of BC-based vascular grafts in vivo.
