Bioscaffolds development for Small-Diameter Vascular Grafts

Cardiovascular diseases and injuries are one of the leading causes of mortality in the world. Vascular grafts implantation is the standard procedure to treat them, and there is a pressing need to develop small-diameter vascular vessels. Tissue engineering offers one promising approach to address the shortcoming of autologous therapies. Despite the successful application of polyethylene terephthalate (Dacron), polyurethane and Expanded Polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) in large-diameter vascular grafts, the outcome of replacing the native small-diameter vessels by vascular grafts made from those biomaterials is still not satisfactory. Recent studies have shown some significant advances and provide confidence that success may be attainable in the near future. Here, we summarise recent development of bioscaffolds in Small-Diameter Vascular Grafts (SDVG) and discuss the challenges and potential improvements for the future.