Now blood vessels can be created from bone marrow adult stem cells that function like native tissue in human body, revealed in a recent study by the researchers at the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering of University at Buffalo.
The bone marrow is an excellent source of adult stem cells, containing smooth muscle and endothelial cells, and add that these stem cells can be used in regenerative medicine for cardiovascular applications.
According to Dr. Stelios T. Andreadis, who co-authored the study with lead author Dr. Jin Yu Liu, a post doctoral researcher in Andreadis’ Laboratory, the study provides an alternative to venous grafts that are routinely done in patients undergoing coronary bypass operations, the disadvantages of which include limited availability of vessels, pain and discomfort at the donor site, and a high 10-year failure rate.
The researchers insist that these vessels function like native tissue and have various properties similar to blood vessels?viz. morphology, expression of several smooth muscle cell proteins, the ability to proliferate, and the ability to contract in response to vasoconstrictors.
The tissue-engineered vessels also produced both collagen and elastin, which give connective tissue their strength and elasticity and are critical to the functioning of artificial blood vessels. “These are the first tissue-engineered vessels to demonstrate the ability to make elastin in vivo,” said Dr. Andreadis.
These findings will definately prove valuable in coronary heart disease and bypass heart surgeries and vein grafting.