title: Elastomers in vascular tissue engineering.
abstract: Elastomers are popular in vascular engineering applications, as they offer the ability to design implants that match the compliance of native tissue. By mimicking the natural tissue environment, elastic materials are able to integrate within the body to promote repair and avoid the adverse physiological responses seen in rigid alternatives that often disrupt tissue function. The design of elastomers has continued to evolve, moving from a focus on long term implants to temporary resorbable implants that support tissue regeneration. This has been achieved through designing chemistries and processing methodologies that control material behavior and bioactivity, while maintaining biocompatibility in vivo. Here we review the latest developments in synthetic and natural elastomers and their application in cardiovascular treatments.
authors.affiliation: School of Molecular Bioscience, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
authors.forename: Matti A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Hiob
authors.affiliation: Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
authors.forename: Gareth W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Crouch
authors.affiliation: School of Molecular Bioscience, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; Bosch Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia. Electronic address: tony.weiss@sydney.edu.au.
authors.forename: Anthony S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Weiss
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D020724:Elastomers / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D020724:Elastomers