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Rapid vascularization of tissue-engineered vascular grafts in vivo by endothelial cells in co-culture with smooth muscle cells

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Abstract

A major challenge facing the development of tissue-engineered vascular grafts (TEVGs), promising living replacements for diseased vascular structures, is enhancing angiogenesis. To promote rapid vascularization, endothelial cells (ECs) were co-cultured with smooth muscle cells (SMCs) in decellularized small intestinal submucosa scaffolds to regenerate angiogenic-TEVGs (A-TEVGs). Observation of the A-TEVGs at 1 month post-implantation revealed that a rich network of neocapillaries lining the blood vessel wall had developed; that the ECs of the neovasculatures had been derived from previously seeded ECs and later invading ECs of the host’s vascular bed; that tissue vascularization had not significantly impaired mechanical properties; and that the maximal tensile strength of the A-TEVGs was of the same order of magnitude as that of native porcine femoral arteries. These results indicate that of the co-culturing of ECs with SMCs could enhance vascularization of TEVGs in vivo, possibly increasing graft perfusion and host integration.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. Shaofeng Wu of the Department of Pediatric Urology, Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University, School of Medicine, for sharing his expertise in the preparation of decellularized SIS scaffolds. This present work was funded by a grant from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81170151) and a grant from the R&D Project of Combination Medicine and Engineering at Shanghai Jiaotong University (No. YG2010MS63).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatric Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, School of Medicine,Shanghai Jiaotong University, 1678, Dongfang Road, Shanghai, 200127, China

    Zhenyu Wang, Yanzhong He, Xindi Yu, Wei Fu, Wei Wang & Huimin Huang

  2. Institute of Pediatric Translational Medicine, Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, 1678, Dongfang Road, Shanghai, 200127, China

    Wei Fu & Wei Wang

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  1. Zhenyu Wang
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Correspondence to Huimin Huang.

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Wang, Z., He, Y., Yu, X. et al. Rapid vascularization of tissue-engineered vascular grafts in vivo by endothelial cells in co-culture with smooth muscle cells. J Mater Sci: Mater Med 23, 1109–1117 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10856-012-4576-8

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