Tissue-engineered vessel derived from human fibroblasts with an electrospun scaffold

Advanced cardiovascular disease often requires surgical revascularization for small diameter arterial bypass procedures, and there is a need for alternative grafts in those patients lacking autologous vein. A decellularized biological vessel with the characteristics of a small artery and the ability to remodel in vivo could replace currently available bypass grafts. In this study, a biodegradable electrospun scaffold was specifically designed to be placed in a biomimetic perfusion system to generate a tissue-engineered vessel from human dermal fibroblasts. The polyglycolic acid electrospun scaffold was co-electrosprayed with a sacrificial porogen microparticle, polyethylene oxide, to increase porosity and pore size. After a 10-week culture period in the biomimetic system, the tissue-engineered vessel derived from human fibroblasts was further processed with decellularization to form an allogeneic tissue-engineered vessel. The tissue-engineered vessel had a similar morphology by histological staining for collagen and elastin before and after decellularization. The mechanical properties (burst pressure, ultimate tensile strength, and elastic modulus) remained stable after decellularization and were on the same magnitude as a human saphenous vein. The decellularization processing demonstrated no loss of collagen, near complete removal of DNA, and no presence of intracellular proteins. The decellularized tissue-engineered vessel supported the growth of endothelial cells on the surface, and fibroblasts were able to migrate into the midportion of the matrix. Therefore, an electrospun scaffold provides a versatile biomaterial to create a decellularized tissue-engineered vessel derived from human dermal fibroblasts with morphological and mechanical properties for use as a small diameter vascular graft.