title: In vivo guided vascular regeneration with a non-porous elastin-like polypeptide hydrogel tubular scaffold.
abstract: Herein, we demonstrate a new approach for small-caliber vascular reconstruction using a non-porous elastin-like polypeptide hydrogel tubular scaffold, based on the concept of guided vascular regeneration (GVR). The scaffolds are composed of elastin-like polypeptide, (Val-Pro-Gly-Ile-Gly)n, for compliance matching and antithrombogenicity and an Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) motif for connective tissue regeneration. When the polypeptide was mixed with an aqueous solution of β-[Tris(hydroxymethyl)phosphino]propionic acid at 37°C, the polypeptide hydrogel was rapidly formed. The elastic modulus of the hydrogel was 4.4 kPa. The hydrogel tubular scaffold was formed in a mold and reinforced with poly(lactic acid) nanofibers. When tubular scaffolds with an inner diameter of 1 mm and length of 5 mm were implanted into rat abdominal aortae, connective tissue grew along the scaffold luminal surface from the flanking native tissues, resulting in new blood vessel tissue with a thickness of 200 μm in 1 month. In contrast, rats implanted with control scaffolds without the RGD motif died. These results indicate that the non-porous hydrogel tubular scaffold containing the RGD motif effectively induced rapid tissue regeneration and that GVR is a promising strategy for the regeneration of small-diameter blood vessels. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 105A: 1746-1755, 2017.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center Research Institute, Fujishiro-dai Suita, Osaka, 565-8565, Japan.
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mahara
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, 201 DuPont Hall, Newark, Delaware, 19716-1501.
authors.forename: Kristi L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Kiick
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center Research Institute, Fujishiro-dai Suita, Osaka, 565-8565, Japan.
authors.forename: Tetsuji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamaoka
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000502:physiology*; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D055119:Elastic Modulus; D004549:Elastin / Q000737:chemistry*; D048091:Guided Tissue Regeneration / Q000379:methods*; D061307:Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells; D006801:Humans; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D008422:Materials Testing; D057139:Nanofibers / Q000737:chemistry; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000737:chemistry; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry*; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012038:Regeneration; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D009842:Oligopeptides; D010455:Peptides; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate; C047981:arginyl-glycyl-aspartic acid; D004549:Elastin
keywords: blood vessel; elastin-like polypeptide; guided vascular regeneration; hydrogel; tubular scaffold