Plug and play: an innovative bio-artificial artery for vascular reconstruction

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Blockage of arteries leads to life threatening events, including heart attack and leg amputation. The best treatment is to replace the diseased artery with a healthy blood vessel taken from another part of the patient. However, many patients do not have suitable blood vessels. Prosthetic vascular grafts (essentially plastic tubes) can be used to replace big arteries, such as the aorta, but have not proved very successful as a substitute for smaller arteries in the heart and legs. A potential solution is to use human cells to build a bio-artificial artery. However, none of the currently available bio-artificial arteries are as durable as natural arteries. This application combines expertise in vascular biology and bioengineering to develop a bio-artificial artery that mimics the natural artery. Comprising only human cells and vascular matrix proteins, but no synthetic materials, the proposed TEBV will particularly benefit elder patients with poor healing capability and young children who require vascular implants to growth with the body. Successful development of a bio-artificial artery promises a potential new treatment for life-threating vascular diseases.