A bioactive compliant vascular graft modulates macrophage polarization and maintains patency with robust vascular remodeling

Alexander Stahl; Dake Hao; Janos Barrera; Dominic Henn; Sien Lin; Seyedsina Moeinzadeh; Sungwoo Kim; William Maloney; Geoffrey Gurtner; Aijun Wang; Yunzhi Peter Yang

Bioactive Materials (Jan 2023)

A bioactive compliant vascular graft modulates macrophage polarization and maintains patency with robust vascular remodeling

Alexander Stahl,
Dake Hao,
Janos Barrera,
Dominic Henn,
Sien Lin,
Seyedsina Moeinzadeh,
Sungwoo Kim,
William Maloney,
Geoffrey Gurtner,
Aijun Wang,
Yunzhi Peter Yang

Affiliations

Alexander Stahl: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Stanford University, 240 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, CA, 94304, USA; Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, 121 Mudd Building, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
Dake Hao: Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, 95817, USA; Institute for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, Shriners Hospitals for Children, Sacramento, CA, 95817, USA
Janos Barrera: Department of Surgery, Stanford University, 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
Dominic Henn: Department of Surgery, Stanford University, 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
Sien Lin: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Stanford University, 240 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, CA, 94304, USA
Seyedsina Moeinzadeh: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Stanford University, 240 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, CA, 94304, USA
Sungwoo Kim: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Stanford University, 240 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, CA, 94304, USA
William Maloney: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Stanford University, 240 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, CA, 94304, USA
Geoffrey Gurtner: Department of Surgery, Stanford University, 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
Aijun Wang: Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, 95817, USA; Institute for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, Shriners Hospitals for Children, Sacramento, CA, 95817, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA; Corresponding author. Department of Surgery, School of Medicine University of California Davis, Research II, Suite 3005, 4625 2nd Avenue, Sacramento, CA, 95817, United States.
Yunzhi Peter Yang: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Stanford University, 240 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, CA, 94304, USA; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, 496 Lomita Mall, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA; Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, 443 Via Ortega, Stanford, CA, 4305, USA; Corresponding author. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, School of Medicine, Stanford University, 240 Pasteur Drive, BMI 258, Stanford, CA, 94304, USA.

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 19
pp. 167 – 178

Abstract

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Conventional synthetic vascular grafts are associated with significant failure rates due to their mismatched mechanical properties with the native vessel and poor regenerative potential. Though different tissue engineering approaches have been used to improve the biocompatibility of synthetic vascular grafts, it is still crucial to develop a new generation of synthetic grafts that can match the dynamics of native vessel and direct the host response to achieve robust vascular regeneration. The size of pores within implanted biomaterials has shown significant effects on macrophage polarization, which has been further confirmed as necessary for efficient vascular formation and remodeling. Here, we developed biodegradable, autoclavable synthetic vascular grafts from a new polyurethane elastomer and tailored the grafts' interconnected pore sizes to promote macrophage populations with a pro-regenerative phenotype and improve vascular regeneration and patency rate. The synthetic vascular grafts showed similar mechanical properties to native blood vessels, encouraged macrophage populations with varying M2 to M1 phenotypic expression, and maintained patency and vascular regeneration in a one-month rat carotid interposition model and in a four-month rat aortic interposition model. This innovative bioactive synthetic vascular graft holds promise to treat clinical vascular diseases.

Published in Bioactive Materials

ISSN: 2452-199X (Online)
Publisher: KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
Country of publisher: China
LCC subjects: Technology: Electrical engineering. Electronics. Nuclear engineering: Materials of engineering and construction. Mechanics of materials; Science: Biology (General)
Website: https://www.keaipublishing.com/en/journals/bioactive-materials/

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