Surface Modification of Electrospun Scaffolds for Endothelialization of Tissue-Engineered Vascular Grafts Using Human Cord Blood-Derived Endothelial Cells

Diana Catalina Ardila; Jr-Jiun Liou; David Maestas; Marvin J Slepian; Michael Badowski; William R. Wagner; David Harris; Jonathan P Vande Geest

doi:10.3390/jcm8020185

Surface Modification of Electrospun Scaffolds for Endothelialization of Tissue-Engineered Vascular Grafts Using Human Cord Blood-Derived Endothelial Cells

J Clin Med. 2019 Feb 4;8(2):185. doi: 10.3390/jcm8020185.

Authors

Diana Catalina Ardila¹, Jr-Jiun Liou², David Maestas³, Marvin J Slepian^{4

5

6

7}, Michael Badowski⁸, William R. Wagner^{9

10

11}, David Harris^{12

13}, Jonathan P Vande Geest^{14

15

16}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA. dca13@pitt.edu.
² Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA. jrl101@pitt.edu.
³ Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA. dmaesta1@jhmi.edu.
⁴ Sarver Heart Center, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA. slepian@email.arizona.edu.
⁵ The Arizona Center for Accelerated BioMedical Innovation, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA. slepian@email.arizona.edu.
⁶ BIO5 Institute for Biocollaborative Research, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA. slepian@email.arizona.edu.
⁷ Interventional Cardiology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA. slepian@email.arizona.edu.
⁸ Arizona Health Science Center Biorepository, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA. badowski@email.arizona.edu.
⁹ Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA. wagnerwr@upmc.edu.
¹⁰ McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA. wagnerwr@upmc.edu.
¹¹ Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA. wagnerwr@upmc.edu.
¹² Arizona Health Science Center Biorepository, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA. davidh@email.arizona.edu.
¹³ Department of Immunobiology, Arizona Health Science Center Biorepository, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA. davidh@email.arizona.edu.
¹⁴ Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA. jpv20@pitt.edu.
¹⁵ McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA. jpv20@pitt.edu.
¹⁶ Vascular Medicine Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA. jpv20@pitt.edu.

Abstract

Tissue engineering has gained attention as an alternative approach for developing small diameter tissue-engineered vascular grafts intended for bypass surgery, as an option to treat coronary heart disease. To promote the formation of a healthy endothelial cell monolayer in the lumen of the graft, polycaprolactone/gelatin/fibrinogen scaffolds were developed, and the surface was modified using thermoforming and coating with collagen IV and fibronectin. Human cord blood-derived endothelial cells (hCB-ECs) were seeded onto the scaffolds and the important characteristics of a healthy endothelial cell layer were evaluated under static conditions using human umbilical vein endothelial cells as a control. We found that polycaprolactone/gelatin/fibrinogen scaffolds that were thermoformed and coated are the most suitable for endothelial cell growth. hCB-ECs can proliferate, produce endothelial nitric oxide synthase, respond to interleukin 1 beta, and reduce platelet deposition.

Keywords: Vascular tissue engineering; endothelialization; human cord blood-derived endothelial cells; umbilical cord blood; vascular graft.

Abstract

Grants and funding