Engineering of human vascular aortic tissue based on a xenogeneic starter matrix.

Abstract

Porcine vessels were acellularized and consecutively fully repopulated with human EC and myofibroblasts. This approach may eventually lead to the engineering of vessels immunologically acceptable to the host using a relatively short preparation period of 2-3 weeks. We expect matrix turnover in vivo leading to a gradual assimilation of the matrix structure by the host mediated by the hosts autologous cells.