Substrate Topography Modulate Human Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Proliferation and Phenotype in Proinflammatory Condition
Standard synthetic small-diameter vascular grafts often fail because smooth muscle cells grow excessively during inflammation and cause blockages. In our study, we showed that a specific topographical micropattern (2 μm) can cut this cell growth in half and keep the cells in a healthy, contractile state, even under inflammatory conditions. When tested in rabbits, grafts with this pattern did not increase vessel thickening compared to standard grafts, suggesting that carefully designed substrate topographies could improve vascular graft performance.
