Tissue engineering of blood vessels in cardiovascular disease: moving towards clinical translation.

Abstract

Tissue engineering focuses on the construction of three-dimensional neotissues from their cellular components. Neotissue can be used to repair or replace tissues that are missing, damaged, or diseased. Despite its relative youth, the field has undergone significant growth. Vascular tissue engineering is at the forefront in the translation of this technology, as tissue engineered vascular grafts have already been successfully implanted in children with congenital heart disease. The purpose of this report is to review the advances in the understanding of tissue engineered vascular grafts as the technology moves to clinical translation.