Cardiovascular tissue engineering of scaffolds for the treatment of vascular diseases

心血管疾病涵盖范围很广，其影响范围从轻微的不适和生活质量下降到如果不治疗可能是致命的情况。虽然目前的治疗方法通常可以缓解心血管疾病的一些症状，但这些疾病的患者往往会留下一个受损的心血管网络，需要谨慎处理，以免再次引发这种情况。理想情况下，这些血管系统可以被新鲜的自体组织取代，有效地治疗这种情况，并给患者带来新的生命。生物支架作为一个仿生物理平台，可以在上面种植和增殖自然细胞。当使用适当的方法时，这些细胞可能会发育成功能齐全的组织。构建支架的初始材料是至关重要的，因为最终由其结构和功能的完整性、机械性能和宿主排斥机会描述的工程组织的生存能力在很大程度上取决于这种选择。目前感兴趣的一个领域是使用可生物降解的聚合物支架，通过该支架可以在细胞增殖期间控制支架的机械性能，并且在组织成熟后，支架将降解并被身体自然处置。进一步探索用于心血管系统的基于聚合物的生物支架的开发可以显着改善血管疾病患者的预后。

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) cover a broad spectrum of conditionswhose effects range from milddiscomfort and reduced quality of life to conditions which can be fatal if left untreated. Whilstcurrent medicinal methods can generally alleviate some of the symptoms of CVDs, sufferers of thesediseases are often left with a compromised cardiovascular network which requires carefulmanagement so as not t o re trigger the condition. Ideally, these vascular systems could be replacedwith fresh, autologous tissue, effectively treating the condition, and giving the patient a new leaseof life.A biological scaffold serves as a biomimetic physical platform fromwhich native cells may be seededand proliferate upon. When using an appropriate methodology, these cells may develop into fullyfunctional tissue. The initial material from which the scaffold is constructed is crucial, as ultimatelythe viability of the engineered tissue described by its structural and functional integrity, mechanicalproperties, and chance of rejection by the host is dictated to a large extent by this choice alone.One current area of interest is the use of a biodegradable polymer scaffold, through which themechanical properties of the scaffold may be controlled during cell proliferation, and, aftermaturation of the tissue, the scaffold will degrade and be naturally disposed of by the body. Furtherexploration into the development of polymer based biological scaffolds for use in cardiovascularsystems could yield significant improvements to prognoses of those who suffer from vasculardiseases.