1
|
Szafron JM, Heng EE, Boyd J, Humphrey JD, Marsden AL. Hemodynamics and Wall Mechanics of Vascular Graft Failure. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2024; 44:1065-1085. [PMID: 38572650 PMCID: PMC11043008 DOI: 10.1161/atvbaha.123.318239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
Blood vessels are subjected to complex biomechanical loads, primarily from pressure-driven blood flow. Abnormal loading associated with vascular grafts, arising from altered hemodynamics or wall mechanics, can cause acute and progressive vascular failure and end-organ dysfunction. Perturbations to mechanobiological stimuli experienced by vascular cells contribute to remodeling of the vascular wall via activation of mechanosensitive signaling pathways and subsequent changes in gene expression and associated turnover of cells and extracellular matrix. In this review, we outline experimental and computational tools used to quantify metrics of biomechanical loading in vascular grafts and highlight those that show potential in predicting graft failure for diverse disease contexts. We include metrics derived from both fluid and solid mechanics that drive feedback loops between mechanobiological processes and changes in the biomechanical state that govern the natural history of vascular grafts. As illustrative examples, we consider application-specific coronary artery bypass grafts, peripheral vascular grafts, and tissue-engineered vascular grafts for congenital heart surgery as each of these involves unique circulatory environments, loading magnitudes, and graft materials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jason M Szafron
- Departments of Pediatrics (J.M.S., A.L.M.), Stanford University, CA
| | - Elbert E Heng
- Cardiothoracic Surgery (E.E.H., J.B.), Stanford University, CA
| | - Jack Boyd
- Cardiothoracic Surgery (E.E.H., J.B.), Stanford University, CA
| | - Jay D Humphrey
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT (J.D.H.)
| | | |
Collapse
|
2
|
Blum KM, Zbinden JC, Ramachandra AB, Lindsey SE, Szafron JM, Reinhardt JW, Heitkemper M, Best CA, Mirhaidari GJM, Chang YC, Ulziibayar A, Kelly J, Shah KV, Drews JD, Zakko J, Miyamoto S, Matsuzaki Y, Iwaki R, Ahmad H, Daulton R, Musgrave D, Wiet MG, Heuer E, Lawson E, Schwarz E, McDermott MR, Krishnamurthy R, Krishnamurthy R, Hor K, Armstrong AK, Boe BA, Berman DP, Trask AJ, Humphrey JD, Marsden AL, Shinoka T, Breuer CK. Tissue engineered vascular grafts transform into autologous neovessels capable of native function and growth. COMMUNICATIONS MEDICINE 2022; 2:3. [PMID: 35603301 PMCID: PMC9053249 DOI: 10.1038/s43856-021-00063-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Tissue-engineered vascular grafts (TEVGs) have the potential to advance the surgical management of infants and children requiring congenital heart surgery by creating functional vascular conduits with growth capacity. Methods Herein, we used an integrative computational-experimental approach to elucidate the natural history of neovessel formation in a large animal preclinical model; combining an in vitro accelerated degradation study with mechanical testing, large animal implantation studies with in vivo imaging and histology, and data-informed computational growth and remodeling models. Results Our findings demonstrate that the structural integrity of the polymeric scaffold is lost over the first 26 weeks in vivo, while polymeric fragments persist for up to 52 weeks. Our models predict that early neotissue accumulation is driven primarily by inflammatory processes in response to the implanted polymeric scaffold, but that turnover becomes progressively mechano-mediated as the scaffold degrades. Using a lamb model, we confirm that early neotissue formation results primarily from the foreign body reaction induced by the scaffold, resulting in an early period of dynamic remodeling characterized by transient TEVG narrowing. As the scaffold degrades, mechano-mediated neotissue remodeling becomes dominant around 26 weeks. After the scaffold degrades completely, the resulting neovessel undergoes growth and remodeling that mimicks native vessel behavior, including biological growth capacity, further supported by fluid-structure interaction simulations providing detailed hemodynamic and wall stress information. Conclusions These findings provide insights into TEVG remodeling, and have important implications for clinical use and future development of TEVGs for children with congenital heart disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin M. Blum
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205 USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 USA
| | - Jacob C. Zbinden
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205 USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 USA
| | | | - Stephanie E. Lindsey
- Department of Pediatrics (Cardiology), Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 USA
- Institute for Computational and Mathematical Engineering (ICME), Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 USA
| | - Jason M. Szafron
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520 USA
| | - James W. Reinhardt
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205 USA
| | - Megan Heitkemper
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205 USA
| | - Cameron A. Best
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205 USA
- The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH 43210 USA
| | - Gabriel J. M. Mirhaidari
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205 USA
| | - Yu-Chun Chang
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205 USA
| | - Anudari Ulziibayar
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205 USA
| | - John Kelly
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205 USA
- The Heart Center, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205 USA
| | - Kejal V. Shah
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205 USA
| | - Joseph D. Drews
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205 USA
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210 USA
| | - Jason Zakko
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205 USA
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210 USA
| | - Shinka Miyamoto
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205 USA
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery at Tokyo Women’s Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuichi Matsuzaki
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205 USA
| | - Ryuma Iwaki
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205 USA
| | - Hira Ahmad
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205 USA
- Department of Pediatric Colorectal and Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205 USA
| | - Robbie Daulton
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205 USA
- University of Cincinnati College of Medicine 3230 Eden Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45267 USA
| | - Drew Musgrave
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205 USA
| | - Matthew G. Wiet
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205 USA
- The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH 43210 USA
| | - Eric Heuer
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205 USA
| | - Emily Lawson
- The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH 43210 USA
| | - Erica Schwarz
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304 USA
| | - Michael R. McDermott
- Center for Cardiovascular Research, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205 USA
| | - Rajesh Krishnamurthy
- Department of Radiology, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, Ohio 43205 USA
| | | | - Kan Hor
- The Heart Center, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205 USA
| | - Aimee K. Armstrong
- The Heart Center, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205 USA
| | - Brian A. Boe
- The Heart Center, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205 USA
| | - Darren P. Berman
- The Heart Center, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205 USA
| | - Aaron J. Trask
- Center for Cardiovascular Research, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205 USA
- Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH 43210 USA
| | - Jay D. Humphrey
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520 USA
| | - Alison L. Marsden
- Institute for Computational and Mathematical Engineering (ICME), Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 USA
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304 USA
| | - Toshiharu Shinoka
- The Heart Center, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205 USA
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH 43205 USA
| | - Christopher K. Breuer
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205 USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Durán-Rey D, Crisóstomo V, Sánchez-Margallo JA, Sánchez-Margallo FM. Systematic Review of Tissue-Engineered Vascular Grafts. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2021; 9:771400. [PMID: 34805124 PMCID: PMC8595218 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.771400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Pathologies related to the cardiovascular system are the leading causes of death worldwide. One of the main treatments is conventional surgery with autologous transplants. Although donor grafts are often unavailable, tissue-engineered vascular grafts (TEVGs) show promise for clinical treatments. A systematic review of the recent scientific literature was performed using PubMed (Medline) and Web of Science databases to provide an overview of the state-of-the-art in TEVG development. The use of TEVG in human patients remains quite restricted owing to the presence of vascular stenosis, existence of thrombi, and poor graft patency. A total of 92 original articles involving human patients and animal models were analyzed. A meta-analysis of the influence of the vascular graft diameter on the occurrence of thrombosis and graft patency was performed for the different models analyzed. Although there is no ideal animal model for TEVG research, the murine model is the most extensively used. Hybrid grafting, electrospinning, and cell seeding are currently the most promising technologies. The results showed that there is a tendency for thrombosis and non-patency in small-diameter grafts. TEVGs are under constant development, and research is oriented towards the search for safe devices.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David Durán-Rey
- Laparoscopy Unit, Jesús Usón Minimally Invasive Surgery Centre, Cáceres, Spain
| | - Verónica Crisóstomo
- Cardiovascular Unit, Jesús Usón Minimally Invasive Surgery Centre, Cáceres, Spain.,Centro de Investigacion Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CIBERCV), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan A Sánchez-Margallo
- Bioengineering and Health Technologies Unit, Jesús Usón Minimally Invasive Surgery Centre, Cáceres, Spain
| | - Francisco M Sánchez-Margallo
- Centro de Investigacion Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CIBERCV), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,Scientific Direction, Jesús Usón Minimally Invasive Surgery Centre, Cáceres, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Drews JD, Pepper VK, Best CA, Szafron JM, Cheatham JP, Yates AR, Hor KN, Zbinden JC, Chang YC, Mirhaidari GJM, Ramachandra AB, Miyamoto S, Blum KM, Onwuka EA, Zakko J, Kelly J, Cheatham SL, King N, Reinhardt JW, Sugiura T, Miyachi H, Matsuzaki Y, Breuer J, Heuer ED, West TA, Shoji T, Berman D, Boe BA, Asnes J, Galantowicz M, Matsumura G, Hibino N, Marsden AL, Pober JS, Humphrey JD, Shinoka T, Breuer CK. Spontaneous reversal of stenosis in tissue-engineered vascular grafts. Sci Transl Med 2021; 12:12/537/eaax6919. [PMID: 32238576 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aax6919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2019] [Revised: 10/27/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
We developed a tissue-engineered vascular graft (TEVG) for use in children and present results of a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved clinical trial evaluating this graft in patients with single-ventricle cardiac anomalies. The TEVG was used as a Fontan conduit to connect the inferior vena cava and pulmonary artery, but a high incidence of graft narrowing manifested within the first 6 months, which was treated successfully with angioplasty. To elucidate mechanisms underlying this early stenosis, we used a data-informed, computational model to perform in silico parametric studies of TEVG development. The simulations predicted early stenosis as observed in our clinical trial but suggested further that such narrowing could reverse spontaneously through an inflammation-driven, mechano-mediated mechanism. We tested this unexpected, model-generated hypothesis by implanting TEVGs in an ovine inferior vena cava interposition graft model, which confirmed the prediction that TEVG stenosis resolved spontaneously and was typically well tolerated. These findings have important implications for our translational research because they suggest that angioplasty may be safely avoided in patients with asymptomatic early stenosis, although there will remain a need for appropriate medical monitoring. The simulations further predicted that the degree of reversible narrowing can be mitigated by altering the scaffold design to attenuate early inflammation and increase mechano-sensing by the synthetic cells, thus suggesting a new paradigm for optimizing next-generation TEVGs. We submit that there is considerable translational advantage to combined computational-experimental studies when designing cutting-edge technologies and their clinical management.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph D Drews
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA.,Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Victoria K Pepper
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Cameron A Best
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA.,Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Jason M Szafron
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - John P Cheatham
- The Heart Center, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Andrew R Yates
- The Heart Center, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Kan N Hor
- The Heart Center, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Jacob C Zbinden
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Yu-Chun Chang
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA.,Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Gabriel J M Mirhaidari
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA.,Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Abhay B Ramachandra
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Shinka Miyamoto
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Kevin M Blum
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Ekene A Onwuka
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA.,Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Jason Zakko
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA.,Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - John Kelly
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA.,The Heart Center, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Sharon L Cheatham
- The Heart Center, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Nakesha King
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA.,Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - James W Reinhardt
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Tadahisa Sugiura
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Hideki Miyachi
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Yuichi Matsuzaki
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Julie Breuer
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Eric D Heuer
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - T Aaron West
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Toshihiro Shoji
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Darren Berman
- The Heart Center, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Brian A Boe
- The Heart Center, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Jeremy Asnes
- Department of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Mark Galantowicz
- The Heart Center, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA.,Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Goki Matsumura
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Narutoshi Hibino
- Department of Surgery, University of Chicago/Advocate Children's Hospital, Chicago, IL 60453, USA
| | - Alison L Marsden
- Departments of Pediatrics and Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
| | - Jordan S Pober
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Jay D Humphrey
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Toshiharu Shinoka
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA.,The Heart Center, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA.,Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Christopher K Breuer
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA. .,Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.,Department of Surgery, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Matsushita H, Inoue T, Abdollahi S, Yeung E, Ong CS, Lui C, Pitaktong I, Nelson K, Johnson J, Hibino N. Corrugated nanofiber tissue-engineered vascular graft to prevent kinking for arteriovenous shunts in an ovine model. JVS Vasc Sci 2020; 1:100-108. [PMID: 34617042 PMCID: PMC8489245 DOI: 10.1016/j.jvssci.2020.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective Prosthetic grafts are often needed in open vascular procedures. However, the smaller diameter prosthetic grafts (<6 mm) have low patency and often result in complications from infection. Tissue-engineered vascular grafts (TEVGs) are a promising replacement for small diameter prosthetic grafts. TEVGs start as a biodegradable scaffold to promote autologous cell proliferation and functional neotissue regeneration. Owing to the limitations of graft materials; however, most TEVGs are rigid and easily kinked when implanted in limited spaces, which precludes clinical application. We have developed a novel corrugated nanofiber graft to prevent kinking. Methods TEVGs with corrugated walls (5-mm internal diameter by 10 cm length) were created by electrospinning a blend of poly-ε-caprolactone and poly(L-lactide-co-caprolactone). The biodegradable grafts were then implanted between the carotid artery and the external jugular vein in a U-shape using an ovine model. TEVGs were implanted on both the left and right side of a sheep (n = 4, grafts = 8). The grafts were explanted 1 month after implantation and inspected with mechanical and histologic analyses. Graft patency was confirmed by measuring graft diameter and blood flow velocity using ultrasound, which was performed on day 4 and every following week after implantation. Results All sheep survived postoperatively except for one sheep that died of acute heart failure 2 weeks after implantation. The graft patency rate was 87.5% (seven grafts out of eight) with one graft becoming occluded in the early phase after implantation. There was no significant kinking of the grafts. Overall, endothelial cells were observed in the grafts 1 month after the surgeries without graft rupture, calcification, or aneurysmal change. Conclusions Our novel corrugated nanofiber vascular graft displayed neotissue formation without kinking in large animal model. This basic science research article reported tissue-engineered vascular grafts for arteriovenous shunt procedures. Nanofibrous grafts were electrospun with polyglycolic acid and poly-ε-caprolactone with a corrugated wall design to prevent graft kinking. The tissue-engineered vascular grafts were then implanted in U-shape between the carotid artery and the external jugular vein of an ovine model. This graft had 87.5% patency rate and did not display significant kinking. Overall, re-endothelialization was observed in the grafts one month after the surgeries without graft rupture, calcification or aneurysmal change. This graft is a promising alternative to small diameter prosthetic grafts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Takahiro Inoue
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Md
| | - Sara Abdollahi
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Md
| | - Enoch Yeung
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Md
| | - Chin Siang Ong
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Md
| | - Cecillia Lui
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Md
| | - Isaree Pitaktong
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Md
| | | | | | - Narutoshi Hibino
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Md
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Reinhardt JW, Rosado JDDR, Barker JC, Lee YU, Best CA, Yi T, Zeng Q, Partida-Sanchez S, Shinoka T, Breuer CK. Early natural history of neotissue formation in tissue-engineered vascular grafts in a murine model. Regen Med 2019; 14:389-408. [PMID: 31180275 DOI: 10.2217/rme-2018-0133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Aim: To characterize early events in neotissue formation during the first 2 weeks after vascular scaffold implantation. Materials & methods: Biodegradable polymeric scaffolds were implanted as abdominal inferior vena cava interposition grafts in wild-type mice. Results: All scaffolds explanted at day 1 contained a platelet-rich mural thrombus. Within the first few days, the majority of cell infiltration appeared to be from myeloid cells at the peritoneal surface with modest infiltration along the lumen. Host reaction to the graft was distinct between the scaffold and mural thrombus; the scaffold stimulated an escalating foreign body reaction, whereas the thrombus was quickly remodeled into collagen-rich neotissue. Conclusion: Mural thrombi remodel into neotissue that persistently occludes the lumen of vascular grafts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James W Reinhardt
- Center for Tissue Engineering, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Juan de Dios Ruiz Rosado
- Center for Microbial Pathogenesis, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Jenny C Barker
- Center for Tissue Engineering, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Yong-Ung Lee
- Center for Tissue Engineering, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Cameron A Best
- Center for Tissue Engineering, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA.,Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Tai Yi
- Center for Tissue Engineering, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Qiang Zeng
- Center for Tissue Engineering, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Santiago Partida-Sanchez
- Center for Microbial Pathogenesis, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Toshiharu Shinoka
- Center for Tissue Engineering, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA.,Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Christopher K Breuer
- Center for Tissue Engineering, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA.,Department of Surgery, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Pepper V, Best CA, Buckley K, Schwartz C, Onwuka E, King N, White A, Dharmadhikari S, Reynolds SD, Johnson J, Grischkan J, Breuer CK, Chiang T. Factors Influencing Poor Outcomes in Synthetic Tissue-Engineered Tracheal Replacement. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2019; 161:458-467. [PMID: 31035858 DOI: 10.1177/0194599819844754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Humans receiving tissue-engineered tracheal grafts have experienced poor outcomes ultimately resulting in death or the need for graft explantation. We assessed the performance of the synthetic scaffolds used in humans with an ovine model of orthotopic tracheal replacement, applying standard postsurgical surveillance and interventions to define the factors that contributed to the complications seen at the bedside. STUDY DESIGN Large animal model. SETTING Pediatric academic research institute. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Human scaffolds were manufactured with an electrospun blend of polyethylene terephthalate and polyurethane reinforced with polycarbonate rings. They were seeded with autologous bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells and implanted in sheep. Animals were evaluated with routine bronchoscopy and fluoroscopy. Endoscopic dilation and stenting were performed to manage graft stenosis for up to a 4-month time point. Grafts and adjacent native airway were sectioned and evaluated with histology and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS All animals had signs of graft stenosis. Three of 5 animals (60%) designated for long-term surveillance survived until the 4-month time point. Graft dilation and stent placement resolved respiratory symptoms and prolonged survival. Necropsy demonstrated evidence of infection and graft encapsulation. Granulation tissue with signs of neovascularization was seen at the anastomoses, but epithelialization was never observed. Acute and chronic inflammation of the native airway epithelium was observed at all time points. Architectural changes of the scaffold included posterior wall infolding and scaffold delamination. CONCLUSIONS In our ovine model, clinically applied synthetic tissue-engineered tracheas demonstrated infectious, inflammatory, and mechanical failures with a lack of epithelialization and neovascularization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Pepper
- 1 Division of Pediatric Surgery, Loma Linda Children's Hospital, Loma Linda, California, USA
| | - Cameron A Best
- 2 Center for Regenerative Medicine, Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA.,3 Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Kaila Buckley
- 4 Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Cynthia Schwartz
- 5 Department of Otolaryngology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas, USA
| | - Ekene Onwuka
- 6 Department of General Surgery, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Nakesha King
- 6 Department of General Surgery, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Audrey White
- 7 College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Sayali Dharmadhikari
- 2 Center for Regenerative Medicine, Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA.,8 Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Susan D Reynolds
- 9 Center for Perinatal Research, Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Jed Johnson
- 10 Nanofiber Solutions Inc, Hilliard, Ohio, USA
| | - Jonathan Grischkan
- 8 Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Christopher K Breuer
- 2 Center for Regenerative Medicine, Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA.,11 Department of Pediatric Surgery, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Tendy Chiang
- 2 Center for Regenerative Medicine, Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA.,8 Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Stacy MR, Best CA, Maxfield MW, Qiu M, Naito Y, Kurobe H, Mahler N, Rocco KA, Sinusas AJ, Shinoka T, Sampath S, Breuer CK. Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Shear Stress and Wall Thickness in Tissue-Engineered Vascular Grafts. Tissue Eng Part C Methods 2018; 24:465-473. [PMID: 29978768 DOI: 10.1089/ten.tec.2018.0144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Tissue-engineered vascular grafts (TEVGs) have demonstrated potential for treating congenital heart disease (CHD); however, quantitative imaging for tracking functional and structural remodeling of TEVGs has not been applied. Therefore, we evaluated the potential of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging for assessing TEVG wall shear stress (WSS) and wall thickness in a large animal model. METHODS Cell-seeded (n = 3) or unseeded (n = 3) TEVGs were implanted as inferior vena cava interposition grafts in juvenile lambs. Six months following implantation, two-dimensional phase-contrast MR imaging was performed at 3 slice locations (proximal, middle, and distal) to assess normalized WSS (i.e., WSS-to-cross sectional area). T2-weighted MR imaging was performed to assess TEVG wall thickness. Histology was qualitatively assessed, whereas immunohistochemistry was semiquantitatively assessed for smooth muscle cells (αSMA), macrophage lineage cells (CD11b), and matrix metalloproteinase activity (MMP-2 and MMP-9). Picrosirius Red staining was performed to quantify collagen content. RESULTS TEVG wall thickness was significantly higher for proximal, middle, and distal slices in unseeded versus cell-seeded grafts. Significantly higher WSS values existed for proximal versus distal slice locations for cell-seeded TEVGs, whereas no differences in WSS existed between slices for unseeded TEVGs. Additionally, no differences in WSS existed between cell-seeded and unseeded groups. Both groups demonstrated elastin formation, without vascular calcification. Unseeded TEVGs possessed greater content of smooth muscle cells when compared with cell-seeded TEVGs. No differences in macrophage, MMP activity, or collagen content existed between groups. CONCLUSION MR imaging allows for in vivo assessment of functional and anatomical characteristics of TEVGs and may provide a nonionizing approach that is clinically translatable to children undergoing treatment for CHD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mitchel R Stacy
- 1 Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine , New Haven, Connecticut.,2 Center for Regenerative Medicine, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital , Columbus, Ohio
| | - Cameron A Best
- 2 Center for Regenerative Medicine, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital , Columbus, Ohio
| | - Mark W Maxfield
- 3 Department of Surgery, Yale University School of Medicine , New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Maolin Qiu
- 4 Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine , New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Yuji Naito
- 3 Department of Surgery, Yale University School of Medicine , New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Hirotsugu Kurobe
- 3 Department of Surgery, Yale University School of Medicine , New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Nathan Mahler
- 2 Center for Regenerative Medicine, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital , Columbus, Ohio
| | - Kevin A Rocco
- 5 Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University , New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Albert J Sinusas
- 1 Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine , New Haven, Connecticut.,4 Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine , New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Toshiharu Shinoka
- 2 Center for Regenerative Medicine, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital , Columbus, Ohio
| | - Smita Sampath
- 4 Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine , New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Christopher K Breuer
- 2 Center for Regenerative Medicine, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital , Columbus, Ohio
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Cunnane EM, Weinbaum JS, O'Brien FJ, Vorp DA. Future Perspectives on the Role of Stem Cells and Extracellular Vesicles in Vascular Tissue Regeneration. Front Cardiovasc Med 2018; 5:86. [PMID: 30018970 PMCID: PMC6037696 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2018.00086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2018] [Accepted: 06/13/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Vascular tissue engineering is an area of regenerative medicine that attempts to create functional replacement tissue for defective segments of the vascular network. One approach to vascular tissue engineering utilizes seeding of biodegradable tubular scaffolds with stem (and/or progenitor) cells wherein the seeded cells initiate scaffold remodeling and prevent thrombosis through paracrine signaling to endogenous cells. Stem cells have received an abundance of attention in recent literature regarding the mechanism of their paracrine therapeutic effect. However, very little of this mechanistic research has been performed under the aegis of vascular tissue engineering. Therefore, the scope of this review includes the current state of TEVGs generated using the incorporation of stem cells in biodegradable scaffolds and potential cell-free directions for TEVGs based on stem cell secreted products. The current generation of stem cell-seeded vascular scaffolds are based on the premise that cells should be obtained from an autologous source. However, the reduced regenerative capacity of stem cells from certain patient groups limits the therapeutic potential of an autologous approach. This limitation prompts the need to investigate allogeneic stem cells or stem cell secreted products as therapeutic bases for TEVGs. The role of stem cell derived products, particularly extracellular vesicles (EVs), in vascular tissue engineering is exciting due to their potential use as a cell-free therapeutic base. EVs offer many benefits as a therapeutic base for functionalizing vascular scaffolds such as cell specific targeting, physiological delivery of cargo to target cells, reduced immunogenicity, and stability under physiological conditions. However, a number of points must be addressed prior to the effective translation of TEVG technologies that incorporate stem cell derived EVs such as standardizing stem cell culture conditions, EV isolation, scaffold functionalization with EVs, and establishing the therapeutic benefit of this combination treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eoghan M Cunnane
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.,McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.,Tissue Engineering Research Group, Department of Anatomy, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Justin S Weinbaum
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.,McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.,Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Fergal J O'Brien
- Tissue Engineering Research Group, Department of Anatomy, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.,Trinity Centre for Bioengineering, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.,Advanced Materials and Bioengineering Research Centre, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - David A Vorp
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.,McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.,Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.,Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.,Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
|