Towards a "Same-Day" Autologous Tissue-Engineered Vascular Graft: Seeding and Implantation of an Elastomeric Scaffold with the Stromal Vascular Fraction

Small diameter tissue engineered vascular grafts (TEVGs) seeded with autologous cells offer a possible treatment solution for those suffering from vascular disease, as mesenchymal stem cells from a variety of sources promote... [ view full abstract ]

Small diameter tissue engineered vascular grafts (TEVGs) seeded with autologous cells offer a possible treatment solution for those suffering from vascular disease, as mesenchymal stem cells from a variety of sources promote scaffold remodeling to a TEVG in vivo. As a step towards clinical application of this strategy, we have demonstrated that cells taken directly from the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) following liposuction can function in a TEVG equivalently to adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells, which in contrast take several passages in culture before use. The next frontier in our strategy is to remove a 48 hour dynamic culture step, which we have believed to be necessary for cell adhesion but have not yet tested. Hence, in this study we tested the hypothesis that scaffolds seeded with SVF and implanted the same day would remain patent in vivo and remodel into a TEVG. SVF obtained from adult adipose tissue was seeded into a poly(ester urethane)urea bilayered scaffold using a customized rotational vacuum seeding device, incubated for 4 hours in culture media during preparation for the surgical procedure, and finally implanted as an abdominal aortic interposition graft in a Lewis rat (Figure, Left). After explantation at 48 hours (Figure, Right) the TEVG was examined for patency. Initial findings demonstrated patency after a short period in vivo; future work will investigate longer term remodeling of these constructs (i.e. after 8 weeks). Ultimately, advancing this TEVG technology towards a “same-day” implementation will greatly enhance its appeal for clinical use.