Fast-degrading bioresorbable arterial vascular graft with high cellular infiltration inhibits calcification of the graft

Bioresorbable vascular grafts are biologically active grafts that are entirely reconstituted by host-derived cells throughout the life span of the patient. Calcification of the graft is a detrimental condition that can severely affect graft performance. Therefore, preventing graft calcification is of great importance to success of bioresorbable vascular grafts. We hypothesized that remaining scaffold polymer could affect graft calcification. Therefore, we created fast-degrading bioresorbable arterial vascular grafts. We report here that no calcification occurred in the fast-degrading grafts, although calcification occurred in the slow-degrading grafts. These findings provide further strategies for prevention of calcification after implantation of bioresorbable vascular grafts in the clinical setting.