Development of Y-shaped small diameter artificial blood vessel with controlled topography via a modified electrospinning method

Abstract

Tissue-engineered small-diameter artificial blood vessels can provide a promising approach to substantially reduce the functional capacity and risk for vascular morbidity and mortality associated with vascular disease. Despite great achievements in this field over the last decade, the use of a small-diameter fibrous tubular scaffold with a diameter of less than 6 mm has remained elusive. To predict the success of small-diameter vascular transplantation in humans, various animal tests using microscale engineered vessels are needed. For these reasons, we developed a Y-shaped small diameter fibrous tubular graft (500 µm < Φ < 6 mm) with topographical cue using a modified electrospinning technique. Also, the effects of the grafts on human endothelial cell (HUVEC) migration and proliferation were examined under a fluorescence microscope using a z-stack function. The availability of suitable small-diameter and customized structure artificial vessel with nano to microscale topography would increase the fraction of patients surgically treated.