Development of umbilical vessels as vascular grafts

초록

Objective Small-diameter arterial cardiovascular disease often requires the replacement of damaged or disease blood vessels with autologous graft such as saphenous vein or thoracic artery or synthetic graft. However, the supply of suitable vessels is often limited, and there are potential limitations such as thrombogenic risk and lack of integration associated with natural grafts. To overcome these challenges, researchers have explored decellularized tissue engineering as a promising alternative. This study aimed to create a decellularized umbilical vessel and evaluate its potential as a small-diameter vascular graft. Study Design We created decellularized blood vessels using umbilical cords obtained from full-term deliveries. After separating them into artery and vein, the vessels underwent freezing, thawing, and chemical treatments to remove cellular components. Confirmation of successful decellularization was achieved through H&E staining. Subsequently, we performed interposition of these decellularized vessels into the abdominal aorta of rabbits with a similar diameter. Results After one week following the transposition into the rabbit's abdominal aorta, we observed that the decellularized vessels maintained their structural integrity and demonstrated appropriate patency. Upon conducting a postmortem examination of the rabbit, even then, we confirmed the absence of thrombus formation, indicating that blood clots did not occur. Conclusion This study confirmed the potential of umbilical cord blood vessels as a novel artificial blood vessel. However, further research is required for practical implementation.