Bioengineered Vessels Effectively Provide Access for Chronic Dialysis

Autologous arteriovenous fistulas for chronic dialysis cannot always be created, particularly in older patients or those with major comorbidities. Plastic grafts are the alternative, but they incur relatively high rates of thrombosis and infection.

To provide an alternative, an international team created artery-sized tubes, composed of biodegradable polymers, and then washed banked vascular smooth muscle cells onto this “scaffolding.” The smooth muscle cells proceeded to make collagen and other structural proteins, which supported the vessel wall as the biodegradable scaffolding disappeared. A blood vessel was formed de novo, but one with cells that would not be bioidentical to those of a potential graft recipient. So, the researchers destro…