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Updated: Apr 1, 2026
Generation and Grafting of Tissue-engineered Vessels in a Mouse Model
Published on: March 18, 2015
The Tissue-Engineered Vascular Graft-Past, Present, and Future
Samand Pashneh-Tala1, Sheila MacNeil1, Frederik Claeyssens1
1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Kroto Research Institute, University of Sheffield , Broad Lane, Sheffield, United Kingdom .
Insights
Tissue-engineered vascular grafts (TEVGs) offer a promising alternative to autologous vessels for treating cardiovascular disease. Research is advancing TEVG development through various methods, aiming to overcome limitations of current treatments.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Regenerative Medicine
- Cardiovascular Surgery
Background:
- Cardiovascular disease remains the leading global cause of mortality.
- Vascular stenosis and occlusion necessitate surgical revascularization using grafts.
- Autologous vessels are the gold standard but face availability and harvest limitations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current state of tissue-engineered vascular graft (TEVG) development.
- To explore diverse methodologies for generating TEVGs.
- To highlight in vivo study outcomes and identify future research directions.
Main Methods:
- Scaffold-based approaches utilizing synthetic and natural polymers.
- Utilization of decellularized natural matrices for TEVG fabrication.
- Tissue self-assembly processes for generating vascular structures.
Main Results:
- Various TEVG generation methods show promise in preclinical and clinical studies.
- In vivo assessments, including clinical trials, provide crucial efficacy data.
- TEVGs aim to overcome the limitations of autologous grafts.
Conclusions:
- TEVGs represent a significant advancement in addressing the need for vascular grafts.
- Further research is essential to optimize cell sources, mechanical properties, and hemodynamics.
- Standardized assessment in animal models is critical for clinical translation.
Abstract:
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, with this trend predicted to continue for the foreseeable future. Common disorders are associated with the stenosis or occlusion of blood vessels. The preferred treatment for the long-term revascularization of occluded vessels is surgery utilizing vascular grafts, such as coronary artery bypass grafting and peripheral artery bypass grafting. Currently, autologous vessels such as the saphenous vein and internal thoracic artery represent the gold standard grafts for small-diameter vessels (<6 mm), outperforming synthetic alternatives. However, these vessels are of limited availability, require invasive harvest, and are often unsuitable for use. To address this, the development of a tissue-engineered vascular graft (TEVG) has been rigorously pursued. This article reviews the current state of the art of TEVGs. The various approaches being explored to generate TEVGs are described, including scaffold-based methods (using synthetic and natural polymers), the use of decellularized natural matrices, and tissue self-assembly processes, with the results of various in vivo studies, including clinical trials, highlighted. A discussion of the key areas for further investigation, including graft cell source, mechanical properties, hemodynamics, integration, and assessment in animal models, is then presented.
