Bacterial Cellulose: A Potential Vascular Graft and Tissue Engineering Scaffold

Cardiovascular disease is the major cause of morbidity and mortality in the adult population and treatment of many of the patients struggling with such diseases requires surgical interventions involving replacement of diseased arteries. Although currently it is possible to replace large arteries with synthetic grafts made of materials such as polyester and expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) [1], these materials may not be used as small size grafts given their thrombogenicity and propensity for intimal hyperplasia [2]. As a result, development of suitable grafts as a substitute for small size arteries (< 6mm in diameter) such as the coronary arteries remains a daunting challenge.