A reconstituted vessel’s wall model on microporous substrates as a small-caliber artificial graft

Summary

This paper deals with the development of a biological model which mimics the intima and media of the natural vessel wall. the essential feature of the vessel organ reconstruction system designed and developed here is a multiphasic heterocellular structure with a high degree of hierarchy. The structuring components are a polymer matrix, a collagen gel layer, a smooth muscle cell (SMC) multilayer, an artificial basement membrane, and an endothelial cell (EC) living. In vitro step-by-step architecture resulted in the development of a viable vessel wall model in terms of structural hierarchy, morphology, and metabolic function. It is hoped that this prototype will serve as a hybrid-type small-caliber artificial graft as well as a physiological and pharmacological research tool.