Histological maturation of vascular smooth muscle cells in in situ tissue-engineered vasculature

The goal of regenerative medicine is to achieve histological and functional recovery to the level of the original tissue. For this purpose, we have developed a biodegradable scaffold to create cell-free in-situ tissue-engineered vasculature (iTEV) with good long-term results. However, the regeneration process of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) over time has yet to be examined. To evaluate the regeneration ability of VSMCs, the inferior vena cava of experimental animals was replaced with iTEV, and tested at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months (n = 6 each) after implantation. Six animals were enrolled to compare 24-month iTEV and native vasculature in single individual samples. There were no complications throughout the study. Immunohistology, protein expression analysis, and biochemical findings indicate that iTEV can gradually regenerate and develop into a mature vessel within 24 months using our biodegradable scaffold. These results provide a time course for the regeneration of VSMCs within the tissue-engineered vascular autograft constructed using a biodegradable scaffold.