ABSTRACT
Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in developed countries. Over 60 million Americans suer from some type of vascular disorder [1], and disease associated with small to medium size vessels is the chief killer in the United States [2]. Over 500,000 coronary artery bypass gra (CABG) surgeries were performed in 2000 [1]. Current options for gra replacements are either autologous vessels or synthetic materials. Synthetic materials, despite being readily available and relatively inexpensive, are associated with thrombogenicity and neo-intima formation in low-ow and small-diameter vessels. Autologous vessels exhibit better patency; however, about 60% of CABG patients do not possess suitable healthy vessels to serve as a gra [3]. Vascular tissue engineering holds promise for the rescue and regeneration of tissue following ischemia, the development of small diameter blood vessel substitutes and the creation of mature blood vessel networks.
