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Ann Thorac Surg 2005;79:1831-1833
© 2005 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

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Editorial

Cardiovascular Tissue Engineering Therapy: So Near, So Far?

^a Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Toronto General Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
^b Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Accepted for publication August 13, 2004.

^_* Address reprint requests to Dr Li, Toronto General Hospital, NU 1–115A, 200 Elizabeth St, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2C4, Canada (E-mail: renkeli@uhnres.utoronto.ca).

The first 20% of the full text of this article appears below.

	Introduction

 
In this issue of The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Gulbins and colleagues [1] propose a novel bioreactor device for the seeding of allogenic vascular endothelial cells onto cryopreserved aortic roots and valves. Despite encouraging results, the study emphasizes the challenges in the design of a bioengineered graft: selecting the most appropriate cells, identifying the best biodegradable biomaterials, and employing a bioreactor to improve conduit engraftment.

	Cells

 
Recent studies have emphasized the extensive remodeling that occurs after in vivo implantation of tissue-engineered constructs [2]. Biodegradable scaffolds produce excellent conduits because of the extensive in-growth of many cell types into the construct. In animal models, rapid endothelialization results in complete coverage of the luminal surface [3]. In humans, tissue in-growth is slower and endothelial coverage may be delayed [4]. Improving endothelial coverage in vitro may not alter in vivo graft endothelialization [4]. However, in vitro cell seeding of the biodegradable scaffold facilitates tissue in-growth and preseeding with fibroblasts or matrix components may reduce the time required for complete luminal coverage [5]. Seeding the biomaterial with multiple cell types results in a thicker graft with more extensive angiogenesis and a greater variety of cells within the structure [3]. Because several cell types are required for . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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Seeding of Human Endothelial Cells on Valve Containing Aortic Mini-Roots: Development of a Seeding Device and Procedure

Helmut Gulbins, Anita Pritisanac, Antje Uhlig, Angelika Goldemund, Bruno M. Meiser, Bruno Reichart, and Sabine Daebritz
Ann. Thorac. Surg. 2005 79: 2119-2126. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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