American Heart Association reports “Off-the-shelf” artificial blood vessels may reduce dialysis complications

Artificial blood vessels remained durable in an animal trial and show promise for patients with end-stage kidney disease.

Dallas, TX – “Off-the-shelf” blood vessels could one day reduce some complications of dialysis treatment, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association’s Emerging Science Series Webinar.

Scientists bioengineered an artificial blood vessel by seeding human aorta cells onto a biodegradable mesh tube. In the process, a tubular vein develops in two months as the growing cells secrete proteins and the mesh support structure dissolves. The new vessel is then prepped in a way that minimizes chances of an immune reaction in the recipient. [Read more]

First Patients receive lab-grown Blood Vessels from Donor Cells

Dallas, TX – For the first time, human blood vessels grown in a laboratory from donor skin cells have been successfully implanted into patients, according to new research presented in the American Heart Association’s Emerging Science Series webinar.

While more testing is needed, such “off-the-shelf” blood vessels could soon be used to improve the process and affordability of kidney dialysis.

“Our approach could allow hundreds of thousands of patients to be treated from one master cell line,” said study lead author Todd N. McAllister, Ph.D., co-founder and chief executive officer of Cytograft Tissue Engineering Inc., of Novato, CA. [Read more]