Improving lab-made small blood vessels for artery bypass
Preclinical Optimization and Design for Manufacturability of Immunoregulatory TEVGs
Developing off-the-shelf artificial blood vessel grafts that use regenerative cell signals to reduce clotting and help healing after arterial bypass.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11305212 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You should know this project is refining lab-made vascular grafts built from a silk scaffold coated with tiny packets of signals (extracellular vesicles) released by healing cells. The team runs lab tests and animal experiments to check clotting, immune responses, and how well new vessel tissue forms. They are also optimizing manufacturing steps and quality measures so the grafts can be made reliably at scale. If preclinical targets are met, the group plans to pursue a pre-IDE meeting with the FDA to move toward human trials.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal future candidates would be people who need small-diameter arterial bypass but lack suitable autologous vein or artery conduits or who could benefit from an off-the-shelf graft.
Not a fit: Patients who do not need bypass surgery, have unrelated conditions, or who have active infections or certain immune disorders likely would not benefit from this approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these grafts could become ready-made alternatives to vein or artery grafts that clot less and integrate better, reducing complications after bypass surgery.
How similar studies have performed: Some early preclinical work and a few translational efforts have shown promise for tissue-engineered vascular grafts, but no off-the-shelf small-diameter graft has yet replaced autologous vessels as the clinical standard.
Where this research is happening
Pittsburgh, United States
- University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh — Pittsburgh, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Vorp, David Alan — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Vorp, David Alan
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.