Vascularprostheses are most commonly used during surgery on arteries (rarely veins); they are made of plastic and resemble a tube in shape. They play a very important role, which is why new, effective and reliable vascular prosthesis materials are constantly being sought. What are Austrian researchers currently working on?
Vascular prostheses play a very important role, as they are designed to bypass or replace a section (usually a small section) of a blood vessel that has narrowed or is obstructed. It can be straight or branched (Y-shaped), tube-like in shape and in most cases is made of dectron or torlene. These types of vascular prostheses have corrugated walls. When made of polytetrafluoroethylene their walls are smooth and uniform.
Currently, vascular prostheses are made using two techniques: knitted or woven. Researchers from Vienna (University of Technology and Medicine) have developed artificial blood vessels that show very good mechanical properties and can be replaced by endogenous tissue over time. This offers the possibility of obtaining fully functional 'new vessels' after a certain period of time. These vessels are made from a special elastomer (polymer), so-called thermoplastic polyurethane, using an electrospinning device. The walls of the artificial blood vessels are very similar to the natural ones and are also slightly porous. This allows a small amount of blood to permeate (percolate) through them and enriches their walls with growth factors. This also gives endogenous cells the opportunity to migrate.
At the moment, the first studies conducted on a rat model have been extremely successful. Approximately six months after implantation of the prosthesis, no inflammation, aneurysms or blood clots were observed in the rodents. Further research is currently being conducted to adapt the material to the human body.