Leg bypass graft that mimics natural artery stretch
Official title: Lower Extremity Bypass Graft With Physiologic Longitudinal Pre-Stretch
Funded at University of Nebraska Omaha · NIH-11333254 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project makes and tests new leg bypass grafts that mimic the natural longitudinal stretch of thigh arteries to help people with blocked leg arteries.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Nebraska Omaha NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Omaha, United States) |
| Project start | February 15, 2024 |
| Project end | January 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $240,212 |
| NIH project number | 5P20GM152301-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11333254 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with peripheral artery disease (PAD) who need infrainguinal or femoropopliteal bypass surgery—especially when grafts must cross the knee—would be the eventual candidates for this approach.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without PAD, those treated only with endovascular procedures, or those not eligible for surgical bypass are unlikely to benefit directly from this work in the near term.
What this research studies
If you have peripheral artery disease and may need a leg bypass, this team is building grafts that reproduce the femoropopliteal artery's natural pre-stretch to reduce bending and kinking. They manufacture tunable nanofibrillar elastomer fabrics designed to match the artery's nonlinear stiffness and longitudinal tension. The grafts will undergo bench mechanical testing and animal studies with imaging and biomechanical measures to compare bending, flow, and stress to current prosthetic grafts. Positive preclinical results would support moving the design toward surgical use and future human trials.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these grafts could lower the rate of bending-related graft failure and improve long-term blood flow and limb outcomes after leg bypass surgery.
How similar studies have gone: This specific approach of engineering longitudinal pre-stretch into grafts is relatively novel, though prior work matching graft compliance to native arteries has shown promise in preclinical studies.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Nebraska Omaha
Omaha, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Maleckis, Kaspars — University of Nebraska Omaha
- Study coordinator: Maleckis, Kaspars
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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.