Tissue engineering of autologous aorta using a new biodegradable polymer Dominique Shum-Tim, MD, Ulrich Stock, MD, Jeff Hrkach, PhD, Toshiharu Shinoka, MD, Jamie Lien, BA, Marsha A Moses, PhD, Andrea Stamp, BSc, George Taylor, MD, Adrian M Moran, MD, William Landis, PhD, Robert Langer, PhD, Joseph P Vacanti, MD, John E Mayer, MD The Annals of Thoracic Surgery Volume 68, Issue 6, Pages 2298-2304 (December 1999) DOI: 10.1016/S0003-4975(99)01055-3
Fig 1 Echographic appearance of a tissue-engineered aorta. The Annals of Thoracic Surgery 1999 68, 2298-2304DOI: (10.1016/S0003-4975(99)01055-3)
Fig 2 (A) Two control explants thrombosed acutely (1 and 2 days) and marked by a fresh clot within the lumen (top). Two other control aorta occluded at 55 and 101 days. Note the lack of tissue formation within the polymer (bottom). (B) Tissue formation was visible 10 days after implantation (top). All tissue-engineered conduits were patent at 3 and 5 months postoperatively with one developing mild stenosis in the proximal anastomosis (bottom). The Annals of Thoracic Surgery 1999 68, 2298-2304DOI: (10.1016/S0003-4975(99)01055-3)
Fig 3 (A) Structural appearance of tissue-engineered and native aorta (hematoxylin-eosin, original magnification × 100). (B) Miller’s elastic staining confirmed the presence of elastic and collagen fibers in the constructed and native aorta (original magnification × 200). The Annals of Thoracic Surgery 1999 68, 2298-2304DOI: (10.1016/S0003-4975(99)01055-3)
Fig 4 The percent 4-hydroxyproline assay increased significantly from 3 to 5 months in the tissue-engineered explants (∗p < 0.05). The Annals of Thoracic Surgery 1999 68, 2298-2304DOI: (10.1016/S0003-4975(99)01055-3)
Fig 5 The percent DNA content in the tissue-engineered conduits increased significantly over time from 3 to 5 months (∗p < 0.05). The Annals of Thoracic Surgery 1999 68, 2298-2304DOI: (10.1016/S0003-4975(99)01055-3)
Fig 6 Electron microscopy identified cellular structures in the tissue-engineered arterial wall and their orientation paralleled the blood flow (original magnification × 750). The Annals of Thoracic Surgery 1999 68, 2298-2304DOI: (10.1016/S0003-4975(99)01055-3)
Fig 7 The substrate gel electrophoresis confirmed the presence of 66 kDa MMP-2 in the tissue-engineered and native aorta but not in the control group. The Annals of Thoracic Surgery 1999 68, 2298-2304DOI: (10.1016/S0003-4975(99)01055-3)
Fig 8 The strain-stress curve of the tissue-engineered grafts changed and resembled the native aorta over time. The Annals of Thoracic Surgery 1999 68, 2298-2304DOI: (10.1016/S0003-4975(99)01055-3)