Biodegradable Perivascular Electrospun Polymer Wrap

University of Pittsburgh researchers have developed a novel approach to eliminate intimal hyperplasia, a common reason for arterial vein graft failure, by creating a biodegradable perivascular electrospun polymer wrap.

Description

Coronary artery bypass grafting is the most effective and used treatment for coronary artery disease, with ~500,000 procedures performed annually. Intimal hyperplasia (IH) accounts for 20-40% of arterial vein graft failure and is thought to arise from a failure of the vein to adapt to the dynamic mechanical environment of arterial circulation. This invention uses a biodegradable perivascular electrospun polymer wrap, which can be tuned to degrade at a controlled rate allowing the vein to adapt and remodel to arterial stresses over time. This gradual exposure is believed to reduce the hyperplastic response and subsequent failure of the graft.

Applications

· Coronary artery bypass grafting
· Coronary artery disease
· Lower extremity bypass surgery
· Arterial vein grafts
· Intimal hyperplasia

Advantages

While others have used a vein cuff/wrap to reduce the incongruity between an artery and vein graft, this approach allows for adaptation to increasing wall stress through the biodegradable nature of the wrap. Additionally, this invention is particularly novel as it involves the electrospinning of a polymer wrap onto a vein graft.

Invention Readiness

The inventors have performed both ex vivo and in vivo experiments validating their approach. Ex vivo perfusion experiments demonstrated that wrapped veins maintained structural integrity compared to unwrapped veins.

IP Status

https://patents.google.com/patent/US9237945B2/en

Related Publication(s)

El-Kurdi, M. S., Hong, Y., Stankus, J. J., Soletti, L., Wagner, W. R., & Vorp, D. A. (2008). Transient elastic support for vein grafts using a constricting microfibrillar polymer wrap. Biomaterials, 29(22), 3213–3220. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biomaterials.2008.04.009