Cellularized small-caliber tissue-engineered vascular grafts: looking for the ultimate gold standard

• Published in: npj Regenerative medicine Vol. 6; no. 1; p. 46
• Main Authors: Fayon, Adrien, Menu, Patrick, El Omar, Reine
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 12-08-2021; Nature Publishing Group; Springer Nature; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 631/443/592/75; 631/61/2035; Biomaterials; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Blood vessels; Cardiovascular disease; Cell adhesion & migration; Cell Biology; Immunology; Life Sciences; Medicine; Ostomy; Regenerative Medicine/Tissue Engineering; Review; Review Article; Stem Cells; Thrombosis; Tissue engineering; Veins & arteries
• ISSN: 2057-3995; 2057-3995
• DOI: 10.1038/s41536-021-00155-x

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.