Abstract
Blood access is a lifeline for dialysis patients. However, serious problems such as stenosis or obstruction of access blood vessels, which are life-threatening conditions in daily clinical practice, still remain. One of the most promising candidates for solving these problems may be Biotube blood vessels. More than 20 years have passed since the development of in-body tissue architecture (iBTA), a technology for preparing tissues for autologous implantation in patients. The tissues obtained by iBTA do not elicit immunological rejection, which is one of the ultimate goals of regenerative medical engineering; however, their practical applications were quite challenging. The seemingly unorthodox iBTA concepts that do not follow the current pre-established medical system may not be readily accepted in general medicine. In contrast, there are many diseases that cannot be adequately addressed even with the latest and most advanced medical technology. However, iBTA may be able to save patients with serious diseases. It is natural that the development of high-risk medical devices that do not fit the corporate logic would be avoided. In order to actively treat such largely unattached diseases, we started Biotube Co., Ltd. with an aim to contribute to society. Biotubes induced by iBTA are collagenous tubular tissues prepared in the patient’s body for autologous implantation. The application of Biotubes as tissues for vascular implantation has been studied for many years. Biotubes may have excellent potential as small-diameter artificial blood vessels, one of the most difficult to clinically achieve. Their possibility is currently being confirmed in preclinical tests. Biotubes may save hundreds of thousands of patients worldwide annually from amputation. In addition, we aim to eliminate the recuring access vascular problems in millions of dialysis patients. This study provides an update on the current development status and future possibilities of Biotubes and their preparation molds, Biotube Makers.
Highlights
What are the characteristics of an ideal artificial blood vessel? It is essential for a blood vessel to maintain blood flow without thrombus formation, stenosis or rupture.special attributes will be required depending on the application purpose and the implant site
Because its blood flow does not exist in a normal living body, it may require special functions other than those required for normal blood vessels in the living body
We describe the development of Biotube Maker for preparing Biotube with a diameter
Summary
What are the characteristics of an ideal artificial blood vessel? It is essential for a blood vessel to maintain blood flow without thrombus formation, stenosis or rupture. Westerners have a large physique and thick arms, so vein tends to run deeply They are often physically more difficult to puncture, and the use of artificial blood vessels in Europe and the United States for preparing dialysis access is higher than in Japan. When iBTA was initially developed ~20 years ago, tubular tissues were formed on the surface of the implants from a simple encapsulation reaction by embedding plastic cylinders as a foreign substance [12,13,14,15,16,17]. A Biotube that is created immediately after being harvested from a living body is flexible and soft, but if temporarily dehydrated by immersing in alcohol for a short time, it can maintain its tubular shape even after immersing it in physiological saline It can be stored in alcohol for a year even at room temperature. One patient maintained patency for more than 2 years and did not require postoperative balloon dilatation
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