Background

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are a leading cause of death worldwide and comprise a number of complex disorders such as coronary artery disease and peripheral arterial disease. Spending on adult cardiovascular diseases has been estimated to be $320 billion in 2016. The occulusion or narrowing of blood vessels are common manifestations in CVD leading to decreased blood flow and subsequent organ damage. Therefore, the development of small-diameter vascular grafts (< 6mm) has emerged for use in cardiovascular reconstructive surgery.

Unfortunately, there are currently no successful off-the-shelf small-diameter vascular grafts for the repair or bypass of arteries. Current synthetic grafts, which providing sufficient mechanical properties, suffer from a lack of positive cellular responses and retard the regeneration process. Conversely, while natural polymer-derived hydrogels have been considered suitable for tissue regeneration and revascularization, their use has been limited due to inferior mechanical properties. Thus, there is a pressing need for small-diameter vascular grafts which enable positive cellular responses while maintaining mechanical integrity.

Technology Overview

NC State researchers have engineered a novel, textile-reinforced hydrogel vascular graft capable of sustained release of a variety of cytokines (e.g., IL-4, VEGF) to modulate macrophage phenotype and enhance endothelial cell migration. This off-the-shelf small-caliber vascular graft can be used for the repair or bypass of coronary, carotid, and peripheral arteries to treat cardiovascular disease, a major cause of death worldwide.

This composite vascular graft is fabricated from using a specialized polymer textile reinforcement and a certain natural hydrogel matrix. This combination harnesses the superior mechanical properties of synthetic grafts while using the natural polymer-derived hydrogel matrix to promote positive cellular responses and the regenerative process. Moreover, incorporation of the hydrogel also seals large pores of the textile conduit and eliminates fluid leakage to positively regulate hemodynamics for a more clinically secure and successful vascular graft.

Benefits

Mechanical support from circularly knitted polylactic acid
Sustained release of regenerative cytokines
Modulates macrophages from pro-inflammatory to pro-regenerative phenotype

Applications

Repair or bypass of coronary, carotid, and peripheral arteries
Replacement and regeneration of tracheal, neural, venous, ureteral, and GI tract
Use as a dialysis access device

Opportunity

NC State University is seeking an industry partner to license and commercialize the technology.

Textile-Reinforced Composite Vascular Graft that Modulates Macrophage Polarization and Enhances Endothelial Cell Migration

Seeking