How to weave human tissue into new blood vessels

Researchers at the University of Bordeaux in France have engineered human tissue to be woven into blood vessels and treat diseased or damaged blood vessels.

Synthetic blood vessel grafts are typically made of woven synthetic polymer yarn and used to replace diseased arteries. However, the body’s immune system sometimes recognizes the material as foreign and causes blood clots on the grafts and creates scarring that can clog the tube. The researchers suggest that the engineered human tissue blood vessels don’t require synthetic materials, making them easily accepted by the body’s immune response.

“Blood vessels are just one example of what can be done with our new textile approach to tissue engineering,” lead author on the study Nicolas L’Heureux said.

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