Cardiovascular diseases are still the leading cause of death in developed countries.
Revascularization procedures such as coronary artery and peripheral bypass grafts as well as
access surgery represent a 2$ billion market yearly for the US alone. Despite intense research
over many decades no clinically suitable shelf-ready synthetic vascular small-caliber
graft exists. There is therefore still a quest for such a clinical vascular prosthesis for
surgical revascularization procedures and access surgery. Many approaches have been tried and
are currently under investigation with promising results. These range from acellular and
cell-based stable or bio-degradable synthetic scaffolds to biological or decellularized
grafts not forgetting self-assembly technologies for in vitro or in vivo VTE. All these
approaches can be further enhanced by functionalization e.g. with growth factors and drug
elution. This updatable book aims to cover all the relevant aspects of Vascular Tissue
Engineering (VTE) and novel alternatives to develop vascular grafts for clinical applications.
The chapters in this book cover different aspects of manufacturing scaffolds with various
polymers mechanical characteristics degradation rates decellularization techniques cell
sheet assembly 3-D printing and autologous mandril-based VTE. All the necessary in vitro tests
such as biocompatibility and thrombogenicity are reviewed. Pre-clinical assessment of in vivo
experimental models include patency compliance intimal hyperplasia inflammatory reaction
cellular ingrowth and remodeling. Finally early clinical trials will be periodically updated
regarding results regulatory aspects and post-marketing quality assessment. Furthermore the
reader should get an insight into various approaches technologies and methods to better
understand the complexity of blood surface and cell interactions in VTE. Translational research
has yielded early human applications clearly showing the enormous need of research in the field
to provide better solutions for our patients and this continuously updated book will hopefully
become a reference in the field for life sciences.
