Advanced coatings to improve the bio-integration of vascular grafts

50年来，血管移植物一直是置换从主动脉瓣到髂动脉分叉的任何患病主动脉节段的既定实践。这些医疗装置的两个主要临床问题是感染的风险和由于材料的促血栓形成活性而导致的血栓性狭窄的风险，这通常导致新的手术。据推测，这些移植物缺乏内皮化可能会显著导致这些问题。该项目将开发新的生物活性涂层，可应用于现有的移植物，以最大限度地提高内皮化过程，并开发下一代血管移植物。该项目将由格拉斯哥大学和Terumo Aortic（血管移植物制造领域的世界领先者）共同开发。这是一个多学科的项目，将在材料和细胞之间的界面工作。该项目将实施最先进的涂层技术，以呈现促进血管移植物壁上内皮细胞生长的生物活性分子。该项目将允许学生发展一些实验技术的技能，包括功能性生物材料的表征，原子力显微镜，共聚焦显微镜以及生物材料和细胞之间界面的细胞和分子生物学。它还将通过与公司的密切合作和在公司的职位安排，为他们提供重要的行业曝光。

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.