Advanced coatings to improve the bio-integration of vascular grafts

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Vascular grafts have been for 50 years the established practice for the replacement of any diseased segments of aorta from the aortic valve to the iliac bifurcation. Two of the main clinical problems of these medical devices are the risk of infection and risk of thrombotic stenosis due to the material's pro-thrombogenic activity which typically lead to new surgeries. It has been hypothesised that the lack of endothelisation of these grafts could significantly contribute to these problems. This project will develop new bioactive coatings that can be applied on existing grafts to maximize the process of endothelisation and develop next generation of vascular grafts. The project will be developed between the University of Glasgow and Terumo Aortic - a world leader in the fabrication of vascular grafts. This is a multidisciplinary project that will work at the interface between materials and cells. The project will implement state-of-the art coating techniques to present bioactive molecules that promote the growth of endothelial cells on the wall of the vascular graft. The project will allow the student to develop skills in a number of experimental techniques including characterization of functional biomaterials, atomic force microscopy, confocal microscopy and cell and molecular biology at the interface between biomaterials and cells. It will also give them significant industrial exposure through close collaboration with and placements at the company.