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Updated: Jun 2, 2026
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Generation and Grafting of Tissue-engineered Vessels in a Mouse Model
Published on: March 18, 2015
Decellularized tissue-engineered blood vessel as an arterial conduit
Clay Quint1, Yuka Kondo, Roberto J Manson
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
Summary
This study presents a novel arterial tissue engineering method using banked cells and recipient cells to create vascular grafts. This approach significantly reduces waiting times and improves graft patency, offering a promising alternative to traditional methods.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Regenerative Medicine
- Vascular Surgery
Background:
- Traditional arterial tissue engineering requires lengthy cell culture periods.
- Graft occlusion and neointimal hyperplasia are significant challenges in vascular surgery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a rapid arterial tissue engineering technique reducing waiting times.
- To evaluate the efficacy of decellularized tissue-engineered vessels (TEVs) seeded with autologous endothelial cells in a porcine carotid artery model.
Main Methods:
- TEVs were grown from banked porcine smooth muscle cells and decellularized.
- Acellular TEVs were seeded with recipient endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) or endothelial cells (ECs).
- TEVs were implanted in porcine carotid arteries and compared to control vein grafts for 30 days.
Main Results:
- All EPC- and EC-seeded TEVs remained patent for 30 days, outperforming control vein grafts (3/8 patent).
- TEVs showed reduced neointimal hyperplasia and fewer proliferating cells compared to vein grafts.
- Reduced mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway proteins in TEVs correlated with resistance to occlusion.
Conclusions:
- Decellularized TEVs seeded with autologous EPCs provide a viable vascular graft resistant to clotting and intimal hyperplasia.
- Engineered connective tissues can be generated from banked cells for in vivo tissue regeneration.
- This method offers a faster, more effective approach to vascular graft development.
