Tissue engineering of valved venous conduits

(Prof. Dr. Heike Mertsching, Leibniz Research Laboratory for Biotechnology and Artificial Organs, Hannover Medical School (MHH); Email Mertsching.Heike@MH-Hannover.de / Prof. Dr. Axel Haverich, Div. for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, MHH, Email: Laue@thg.mh-hannover.de)

Venous valves functioning insufficiently after a deep venous thrombosis in the leg present an immense problem for venous surgery and may lead to chronic venous insufficiency. This project's aim is the development of autologous valved venous conduits in vitro as a potential prosthesis. The practicability of these bioartificial venous valves is currently being tested in an allogenic large animal model (sheep).

These implants are being developed using tissue engineering techniques: previously acellularised allogenic veins are consecutively reseeded with autologous cells in a perfusion-bioreactor. Parallel to the resorption of the biodegradable matrix, a gradual replacement by locally synthesised extracellular matrix takes place in vivo. With the application of autologous cells, the implant is expected to be immunologically accepted by recipients.