Electrospinning of biomimetic scaffolds for tissue-engineered vascular grafts: threading the path

Tissue-engineered vascular grafts (TEVGs) offer an alternative to synthetic grafts for the surgical treatment of atherosclerosis and congenital heart defects, and may improve graft patency and patient outcomes after implantation. Electrospinning is a versatile manufacturing process for the production of fibrous scaffolds. This review aims to investigate novel approaches undertaken to improve the design of electrospun scaffolds for TEVG development. The review describes how electrospinning can be adapted to produce aligned nanofibrous scaffolds used in vascular tissue engineering, while novel processes for improved performance of such scaffolds are examined and compared to evaluate their effectiveness and potential. By highlighting new drug delivery techniques and porogenic technologies, in addition to analyzing in vitro and in vivo testing of electrospun TEVGs, it is hoped that this review will provide guidance on how the next generation of electrospun vascular graft scaffolds will be designed and tested for the potential improvement of cardiovascular therapies.