Collagen-reinforced electrospun silk fibroin tubular construct as small calibre vascular graft.
None of the replacements proposed in the literature for small-calibre blood vessels (SCBV) fully satisfies the stringent requirements that these grafts have to fulfil. Here, an electrospun silk fibroin tubular construct is hybridized with type I collagen gel to produce a biomimetic SCBV graft with physiologically relevant compliance and burst pressure and optimal cytocompatibility. The hybridization of the two polymers results in the formation of a nanofibrillar hydrated matrix, where the collagen gel enhances the mechanical properties of the SF tubular construct and improves the early response of the material to in vitro cell adhesion and proliferation.
BioMatLab, Bioengineering Department, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza L. da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy.
Benedetto
B
Marelli
Matteo
M
Achilli
Antonio
A
Alessandrino
Giuliano
G
Freddi
Maria Cristina
MC
Tanzi
Silvia
S
Farè
Diego
D
Mantovani
D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D040761:Biomimetic Materials / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000502:physiology; D012831:Bombyx / Q000502:physiology; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D024042:Collagen Type I / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D055664:Electrochemical Techniques; D005349:Fibroins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005782:Gels; D008422:Materials Testing; D051379:Mice; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds
D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D024042:Collagen Type I; D005782:Gels; D005349:Fibroins