Autologous Mandril-Based Vascular Grafts

Abstract

It is well-known that the number of patients requiring a vascular graft for use as arterial bypass or as vascular access site for hemodialysis is ever increasing. The development of tissue-engineered vascular grafts (TEVGs) is a promising method to meet this increasing demand, without having to rely synthetic grafts such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or Dacron, that have limited long-term durability. The generation of in vivo TEVGs involves utilizing the host reaction to an implanted biomaterial for the generation of completely autologous tissues. Essen- tially this approach to the development of TEVGs makes use of the foreign bodyresponse to biomaterials for the construction of the entire vascular replacement tissue within the patient’s own body. In this review we will discuss the method of developing in vivo TEVGs and debate the approaches of several research groups that have implemented this method. This review is partly based on a previous publication in the Journal of Cardiovascular Translational Research (2017, 10(2):167–179) and includes an update with recent literature.