Development of a Natural Polymer-Based Hydrogel for Bioengineered Vascular Grafts

Abstract

Introduction Cardiovascular diseases are a main cause of death globally, and their treatment implies various vascular repairs through different techniques like angioplasty, stent placement in the blocked artery, or bypass surgery. Artificial grafts would significantly reduce the number of non-treated patients, but middle and long-term failures compromise their clinical use. Methods Herein, we developed a hydrogel composed of gellan gum, gelatin, and sodium alginate for bioengineered vascular graft production. The vascular grafts were characterized by their swelling, porosity, biodegradability, and cytotoxic profile. Results The bioengineered materials were easily assembled due to the thermoresponsive nature of the hydrogel and had a vessel-like structure resembling the native vasculature. These vessels had a very controlled swelling degree, and notably, the hydrogel structure was stable and maintained its morphology. The vascular grafts had a porosity of 82.6 ± 4.3% and exhibited a controlled biodegradation rate with a maximum of 24.2 ± 3.0%. As expected, the natural materials used showed no cytotoxicity toward HUVECs cells since they are natural polymers described as biocompatible. Conclusions This developed natural hydrogel showed promising potential to be used to develop bioengineered vascular grafts.