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Balà N, Aranda A, Teixidó P, Molhoek C, Moreno-Jiménez I, Febas G, López-Guimet J, Groothuis A, Edelman ER, Balcells M, Borrós S, Martorell J, Riambau V. In Vivo Efficacy of an Adhesive Bioresorbable Patch to Treat Aortic Dissections. JACC Basic Transl Sci 2024; 9:65-77. [PMID: 38362347 PMCID: PMC10864981 DOI: 10.1016/j.jacbts.2023.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Endovascular repair of aortic dissection still presents significant limitations. Preserving the mechanical and biological properties set by the aortic microstructure is critical to the success of implantable grafts. In this paper, we present the performance of an adhesive bioresorbable patch designed to cover the entry tear of aortic dissections. We demonstrate the power of using a biomimetic scaffold in a vascular environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noemí Balà
- IQS School of Engineering, Universitat Ramon Llull, Barcelona, Spain
- Aortyx SL, Teia, Spain
| | - Alejandro Aranda
- IQS School of Engineering, Universitat Ramon Llull, Barcelona, Spain
- Aortyx SL, Teia, Spain
| | - Pau Teixidó
- IQS School of Engineering, Universitat Ramon Llull, Barcelona, Spain
- Aortyx SL, Teia, Spain
| | - Carlota Molhoek
- IQS School of Engineering, Universitat Ramon Llull, Barcelona, Spain
- Aortyx SL, Teia, Spain
| | | | | | | | - Adam Groothuis
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Elazer Reuven Edelman
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mercedes Balcells
- IQS School of Engineering, Universitat Ramon Llull, Barcelona, Spain
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Salvador Borrós
- IQS School of Engineering, Universitat Ramon Llull, Barcelona, Spain
- Aortyx SL, Teia, Spain
| | - Jordi Martorell
- IQS School of Engineering, Universitat Ramon Llull, Barcelona, Spain
- Aortyx SL, Teia, Spain
| | - Vicente Riambau
- Aortyx SL, Teia, Spain
- Vascular Surgery Department, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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Biomimetic and Bioactive Small Diameter Tubular Scaffolds for Vascular Tissue Engineering. Biomimetics (Basel) 2022; 7:biomimetics7040199. [PMID: 36412727 PMCID: PMC9680506 DOI: 10.3390/biomimetics7040199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The present work aimed at the production and characterization of small caliber biomimetic and bioactive tubular scaffolds, which are able to favor the endothelialization process, and therefore potentially be suitable for vascular tissue engineering. The tubular scaffolds were produced using a specially designed mold, starting from a gelatin/gellan/elastin (GGE) blend, selected to mimic the composition of the extracellular matrix of native blood vessels. GGE scaffolds were obtained through freeze-drying and subsequent cross-linking. To obtain systems capable of promoting endothelization, the scaffolds were functionalized using two different bioactive peptides, Gly-Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser-Pro (GRGSDP) and Arg-Glu-Asp-Val (REDV). A complete physicochemical, mechanical, functional, and biological characterization of the developed scaffolds was performed. GGE scaffolds showed a good porosity, which could promote cell infiltration and proliferation and a dense external surface, which could avoid bleeding. Moreover, developed scaffolds showed good hydrophilicity, an elastic behavior similar to natural vessels, suitability for sterilization by an ISO accepted treatment, and an adequate suture retention strength. In vitro cell culture tests showed no cytotoxic activity against 3T3 fibroblasts. The functionalization with the REDV peptide favored the adhesion and growth of endothelial cells, while GRGDSP-modified scaffolds represented a better substrate for fibroblasts.
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Zhang W, Sommer G, Niestrawska JA, Holzapfel GA, Nordsletten D. The effects of viscoelasticity on residual strain in aortic soft tissues. Acta Biomater 2022; 140:398-411. [PMID: 34823042 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2021.11.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Residual stress is thought to play a critical role in modulating stress distributions in soft biological tissues and in maintaining the mechanobiological stress environment of cells. Residual stresses in arteries and other tissues are classically assessed through opening angle experiments, which demonstrate the continuous release of residual stresses over hours. These results are then assessed through nonlinear biomechanical models to provide estimates of the residual stresses in the intact state. Although well studied, these analyses typically focus on hyperelastic material models despite significant evidence of viscoelastic phenomena over both short and long timescales. In this work, we extended the state-of-the-art structural tensor model for arterial tissues from Holzapfel and Ogden for fractional viscoelasticity. Models were tuned to capture consistent levels of hysteresis observed in biaxial experiments, while also minimizing the fractional viscoelastic weighting and opening angles to correctly capture opening angle dynamics. Results suggest that a substantial portion of the human abdominal aorta is viscoelastic, but exhibits a low fractional order (i.e. more elastically). Additionally, a significantly larger opening angle in the fully unloaded state is necessary to produce comparable hysteresis in biaxial testing. As a consequence, conventional estimates of residual stress using hyperelastic approaches over-estimate their viscoelastic counterparts by a factor of 2. Thus, a viscoelastic approach, such as the one illustrated in this study, in combination with an additional source of rate-controlled viscoelastic data is necessary to accurately analyze the residual stress distribution in soft biological tissues. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Residual stress plays a crucial role in achieving a homeostatic stress environment in soft biological tissues. However, the analysis of residual stress typically focuses on hyperelastic material models despite evidence of viscoelastic behavior. This work is the first attempt at analyzing the effects of viscoelasticity on residual stress. The application of viscoelasticity was crucial for producing realistic opening dynamics in arteries. The overall residual stresses were estimated to be 50% less than those from using hyperelastic material models, while the opening angles were projected to be 25% more than those measured after 16 hours, suggesting underestimated residual strain. This study highlights the importance viscoelasticity in the analysis of residual stress even in weakly dissipative materials like the human aorta.
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Affiliation(s)
- Will Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, North Campus Research Center, Building 20, 2800 Plymouth Rd, Ann Arbor 48109, USA.
| | - Gerhard Sommer
- Institute of Biomechanics, Graz University of Technology, AT, Austria
| | - Justyna A Niestrawska
- Gottfried Schatz Research Center, Division of Macroscopic and Clinical Anatomy, Medical University of Graz, Harrachgasse 21, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Gerhard A Holzapfel
- Institute of Biomechanics, Graz University of Technology, AT, Austria; Department of Structural Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, NO, Norway
| | - David Nordsletten
- Division of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, Department of Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, UK; Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Cardiac Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
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Camasão DB, Mantovani D. The mechanical characterization of blood vessels and their substitutes in the continuous quest for physiological-relevant performances. A critical review. Mater Today Bio 2021; 10:100106. [PMID: 33889837 PMCID: PMC8050780 DOI: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2021.100106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Revised: 02/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
During the last 50 years, novel biomaterials and tissue engineering techniques have been investigated to produce alternative vascular substitutes that recapitulate the unique elastic mechanical features of blood vessels. A large variation in mechanical characterization, including the test type, protocol, and data analysis, is present in literature which complicates the comparison among studies and prevents the blooming and the advancement of this field. In addition, a limited mechanical assessment of the substitute for the intended application is often provided. In this light, this review presents the mechanical environment of blood vessels, discusses their mechanical behavior responsible for the suited blood flow into the body (non-linearity, anisotropy, hysteresis, and compliance), and compares the mechanical properties reported in literature (obtained with compression, tensile, stress-relaxation, creep, dynamic mechanical analysis, burst pressure, and dynamic compliance tests). This perspective highlights that the mechanical properties extracted through conventional tests are not always suitable indicators of the mechanical performance during the working life of a vascular substitute. The available tests can be then strategically used at different stages of the substitute development, prioritizing the simplicity of the method at early stages, and the physiological pertinence at later stages, following as much as possible ISO standards in the field. A consistent mechanical characterization focused on the behavior to which they will be subdued during real life is one key and missing element in the quest for physiological-like mechanical performance of vascular substitutes.
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Affiliation(s)
- D B Camasão
- Laboratory for Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Canada Research Chair I in Biomaterials and Bioengineering for the Innovation in Surgery, Department of Min-Met-Materials Engineering, Research Center of CHU de Québec, Division of Regenerative Medicine, Laval University, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - D Mantovani
- Laboratory for Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Canada Research Chair I in Biomaterials and Bioengineering for the Innovation in Surgery, Department of Min-Met-Materials Engineering, Research Center of CHU de Québec, Division of Regenerative Medicine, Laval University, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
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Arévalo-Alquichire S, Dominguez-paz C, Valero MF. Mechanical Assessment and Hyperelastic Modeling of Polyurethanes for the Early Stages of Vascular Graft Design. MATERIALS 2020; 13:ma13214973. [PMID: 33167333 PMCID: PMC7663800 DOI: 10.3390/ma13214973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2020] [Revised: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/31/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The material design of vascular grafts is required for their application in the health sector. The use of polyurethanes (PUs) in vascular grafts intended for application in the body appears to be adequate due to the fact that native tissues have similar properties as PUs. However, the influence of chemical structure on the biomechanics of PUs remains poorly described. The use of constitutive models, together with numerical studies, is a powerful tool for evaluating the mechanical behavior of materials under specific physiological conditions. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the mechanical properties of different PU mixtures formed by polycaprolactone diol, polyethylene glycol, and pentaerythritol using uniaxial tensile, strain sweep, and multistep creep-recovery tests. Evaluations of the properties were also recorded after samples had been soaked in phosphate-buffer saline (PBS) to simulate physiological conditions. A hyperelastic model based on the Mooney–Rivlin strain density function was employed to model the performance of PUs under physiological pressure and geometry conditions. The results show that the inclusion of polyethylene glycol enhanced viscous flow, while polycaprolactone diol increased the elastic behavior. Furthermore, tensile tests revealed that hydration had an important effect on the softening phenomenon. Additionally, after the hydration of PUs, the ultimate strength was similar to those reported for other vascular conduits. Lastly, hyperelastic models revealed that the compliance of the PUs showed a cyclic behavior within the tested time and pressure conditions and is affected by the material composition. However, the compliance was not affected by the geometry of the materials. These tests demonstrate that the materials whose compositions are 5–90–5 and 46.3–46.3–7.5 could be employed in the designs of vascular grafts for medical applications since they present the largest value of compliance, ultimate strength, and elongation at break in the range of reported blood vessels, thus indicating their suitability. Moreover, the polyurethanes were revealed to undergo softening after hydration, which could reduce the risk of vascular trauma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Said Arévalo-Alquichire
- Energy, Materials and Environmental Group, GEMA, Faculty of Engineering, Universidad de La Sabana, Chía 140013, Colombia; (S.A.-A.); (C.D.-p.)
- The Doctoral Program of Biosciences, Universidad de La Sabana, Chía 140013, Cundinamarca, Colombia
| | - Carlos Dominguez-paz
- Energy, Materials and Environmental Group, GEMA, Faculty of Engineering, Universidad de La Sabana, Chía 140013, Colombia; (S.A.-A.); (C.D.-p.)
- Department of Prototypes and Manufacturing, Faculty of Engineering, Universidad de La Sabana, Chía 140013, Colombia
| | - Manuel F. Valero
- Energy, Materials and Environmental Group, GEMA, Faculty of Engineering, Universidad de La Sabana, Chía 140013, Colombia; (S.A.-A.); (C.D.-p.)
- Department of Chemical and Biotechnological Processes, Faculty of Engineering, Universidad de La Sabana, Chía 140013, Colombia
- Correspondence:
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