Cellularized small-caliber tissue-engineered vascular grafts: looking for the ultimate gold standard.
review · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 34385472.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41536-021-00155-x and PMC identifier 8361171.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Due to the lack of efficacy of synthetic vascular substitutes in the replacement of small-caliber arteries, vascular tissue engineering (VTE) has emerged as a promising solution to produce viable small-caliber tissue-engineered vascular grafts (TEVG). Previous studies have shown the importance of a cellular intimal layer at the luminal surface of TEVG to prevent thrombotic events. However, the cellularization of a TEVG seems to be a critical approach to consider in the development of a TEVG. To date, no standard cellularization method or cell type has been established to create the ideal TEVG by promoting its long-term patency and function. In this review, advances in VTE are described and discussed with a particular focus on the construction approaches of cellularized small-caliber TEVGs, the cell types used, as well as their preclinical and clinical applications.