Table 5.
Studies Toward the Development of a TEVG Using TESA
| TESA manufacturing method | Development level | Cell source | Comments | Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheet-based tissue engineering | In vivo (human trial) | Autologous fibroblasts and ECs | First clinical trial of a TEVG under arterial flow as an AVF. 4/10 grafts patent for up to 20 months (in line with current clinical targets). |
L'Heureux and colleagues63,65,168 |
| Sheet-based tissue engineering, followed by decellularization | In vitro | Human dermal and vein fibroblasts | Decellularized grafts consisted of ECM components only. SMCs proliferated successfully on decellularized grafts. |
Germain and colleagues175 |
| Mircotissue aggregate assembly | In vitro | Human artery fibroblasts and umbilical vein ECs | Cell aggregates bound by secreted ECM assembled into tubes. Fused under dynamic culture to form tube structures. |
Hoerstrup and colleagues176 |
| Bioprinting | In vitro | Human umbilical cord SMCs and dermal fibroblasts | Branched vessel produced from the fusion of printed cell cylinders and spheroids. High cell densities achieved with no scaffold. Maximum burst pressure values of 773 mmHg were achieved after 21 days in bioreactor culture. |
Forgacs and colleagues177,178 |
TESA, tissue engineering by self-assembly.