Hybrid Grafts to Combat Cardiovascular Disease

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a leading health concern, often requiring vascular grafts for treatment. These grafts, however, frequently encounter complications such as compliance mismatch and clot formation, particularly when used in small-diameter applications. To address this, researchers have developed a multicomponent vascular graft that mimics the native architecture of blood vessels, aiming to enhance the regeneration of damaged tissue.

Researchers from Trinity College Dublin (Dublin, Ireland), as reported in the international journal Advanced Functional Materials, employed a Melt electrowriting (MEW) technique to create this advanced vascular graft. This method allows for the fabrication of tubular scaffolds that not only exhibit vascular-mimetic fiber architecture and mechanics but are also integrated with a lyophilized fibrinogen matrix, designed to degrade at a controlled rate. This hybrid graft aligns with ISO implantability standards, matches the compliance of natural vessels, and has been shown to support physiological flow while minimizing clot formation in preclinical models.

Image: The multicomponent vascular graft overcomes the limitations of autologous/synthetic vascular grafts (Photo courtesy of Trinity College Dublin)

In practice, the graft was successfully implemented as a replacement for the abdominal aorta in rat models, where it demonstrated excellent blood compatibility by reducing platelet and red blood cell infiltration. This breakthrough introduces a promising off-the-shelf solution for small-diameter vascular grafts needed in CVD treatment. Additionally, the innovation supports the broader development of 3D bio printed biological implants aimed at regenerating, rather than merely replacing, diseased tissues and joints.

“We developed a novel multicomponent vascular graft that was inspired by the layered architecture of native blood vessels,” said Associate Professor David Hoey, lead investigator and study author. “Utilizing advanced biofabrication technologies such as melt electrowriting (MEW) we could produce tubular scaffolds, that when combined with a fibrinogen matrix, could not only replicate the behavior of a blood vessel but could also act as a guiding structure to regenerate damaged tissue. This exciting off-the-shelf graft meets clinical requirements and is therefore a promising solution for addressing the unmet need for small-diameter vascular grafts.”

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