초록 ▼

The invention is a tissue engineered blood vessel (TEBV) made from a cultured fibroblast sheet rolled into a multilayer vessel which has sufficient burst strength to withstand physiological blood pressure without the inclusion of smooth muscle cells or synthetic scaffolding. The TEBV is made in a bi

The invention is a tissue engineered blood vessel (TEBV) made from a cultured fibroblast sheet rolled into a multilayer vessel which has sufficient burst strength to withstand physiological blood pressure without the inclusion of smooth muscle cells or synthetic scaffolding. The TEBV is made in a bioreactor having an enclosed chamber, a sheet growth module, a rollable mandrel and a clamp for holding the sheet to the mandrel for rolling.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An automated process of making a tissue-engineered blood vessel (TEBV) comprising the steps of: isolating and expanding fibroblasts from an autologous biopsy in a culture; producing from the fibroblasts a sheet of cells and extracellular matrix that does not include a smooth muscle layer; wi

1. An automated process of making a tissue-engineered blood vessel (TEBV) comprising the steps of: isolating and expanding fibroblasts from an autologous biopsy in a culture; producing from the fibroblasts a sheet of cells and extracellular matrix that does not include a smooth muscle layer; winding the sheet onto a mandrel by attaching an edge of the sheet to the mandrel and then rolling the mandrel using an automated rolling device to produce a rolled vessel having as its exterior surface a layer of the sheet; and maturing the rolled vessel by exposing a surface to a maturation media to make a TEBV that is strong but does not include a smooth muscle layer. 2. The process of claim 1 further including the step of seeding the rolled vessel or sheet with autologous endothelial cells. 3. The process of claim 1 further including the step of clamping the sheet onto the mandrel prior to rolling. 4. The process of claim 1 further including the step of separating a segment of the sheet from an underlying tissue culture substrate prior to attaching the segment to the mandrel. 5. The process of claim 1 wherein the maturing step is carried out while applying a pressure gradient across the vessel. 6. The process of claim 1 wherein the cells are stimulated during the sheet production or vessel maturation step to produce a more robust matrix. 7. An automated process of making a tissue-engineered blood vessel (TEBV) comprising the steps of: isolating and expanding fibroblasts in a culture; producing a sheet of cells and extracellular matrix from the fibroblasts; winding the sheet onto a mandrel by attaching an edge of the sheet to the mandrel and then rolling the mandrel using an automated rolling device to produce a rolled vessel having as its exterior surface a layer of the sheet; maturing the rolled vessel by exposing the exterior surface to a maturation media to make a TEBV, wherein cells on the inside of the rolled vessel adjacent the mandrel are killed during this maturation step. 8. The process of claim 7 further including the step of seeding the rolled vessel or sheet with autologous endothelial cells. 9. The process of claim 7 further including the step of clamping the sheet onto the mandrel prior to rolling. 10. The process of claim 7 further including the step of separating a segment of the sheet from an underlying tissue culture substrate prior to attaching the segment to the mandrel. 11. The process of claim 7 wherein the maturing step is carried out while applying a pressure gradient across the vessel. 12. The process of claim 7 wherein the cells are stimulated during the sheet production or vessel maturation step to produce a more robust matrix.