Artificial Blood Vessels Hold Potential for Dialysis Patients

 “Off-the-shelf” blood vessels could one day reduce some complications of dialysis treatment.  A team of scientists led by Shannon L. Dahl have successfully 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. In the study, bioengineered vessels implanted in primates for six months remained durable and didn’t have the common complications of synthetic grafts: blood clots, rejection and thickening of the adjacent vein that can obstruct the graft.  Based on these results researchers have launched a multi-center European clinical trial, and the FDA has authorized a multi-center US clinical trial, to assess safety and function of biological grafts in dialysis patients who can’t have a fistula created.