Tissue Engineering for Blood Vessels

The artificial vascular grafts currently in clinical use still have problems with respect to late calcification, restenosis, antithrombotic property, durability, biocompatibility, and safety, and no ideal artificial vascular graft has been developed to date. In view of this, we have been continuing basic experimental studies and their clinical applications in an attempt to develop tissue-engineered regenerative blood vessels. Tissue-Engineered Vascular Grafts (TEVG) autologous cells have no graft rejection potential, and as they are comprised of viable autologous cells, a longer sustained durability can be expected. Eventually, no foreign matter remains, and the lumen becomes completely endothelized. Therefore, no longterm anticoagulant therapy is required post-implantation, and the implanted graft, being autologous tissue, may have higher growth potential: Such artificial grafts are considered ideal blood vessels. We will continue to seek methods that enable less cumbersome treatments that are less stressful for patients in the future.