title: Assessment of the potential of progenitor stem cells extracted from human peripheral blood for seeding a novel vascular graft material.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A novel nanocomposite has recently been developed based on polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane attached by direct reaction onto a urethane segment, as a potential vascular graft material; its trade name is UCL-Nano. The UCL-Nano has been demonstrated to have similar viscoelastic properties to the walls of a natural artery, to be resistant to degradation and to be able to sustain endothelial cell seeding. Human peripheral blood contains both circulating endothelial cells and endothelial progenitor cells, which may be suitable for conduit seeding. The aim of this study was to develop a system with the potential to deliver an endothelial cell-seeded bypass graft in a realistic time frame.
  
  
  METHODS
  Endothelial progenitor cells and circulating endothelial cells were isolated from human peripheral blood and were characterized by fluorescent-activated cell sorting, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry. Isolated cells were seeded on nanocomposite and were maintained in culture for 35 days.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The UCL-Nano was successfully seeded with cells and a confluent cell layer was achieved after 14-day culture. Cells remained viable and confluent on the nanocomposite for 35 days.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In conclusion, these results suggest that this process has potential both for a realistic and achievable two-stage seeding process for vascular bypass grafts and for the potential development of a device, with the aim of achieving in situ seeding once implanted.
authors.affiliation: Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering Centre, Academic Division of Surgical and Interventional Sciences, University College London, UK.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Punshon
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Sales
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Vara
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Seifalian
mesh_terms: D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000166:cytology*; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000166:cytology; D006801:Humans; D008422:Materials Testing; D053761:Nanocomposites / Q000737:chemistry*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D013499:Surface Properties; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods; D014020:Tissue Extracts / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D014020:Tissue Extracts