An increase in the incidence of vascular disorders, blockage of blood vessels, and high blood sugar has led to a rise in usage of vascular grafts for treatment. Researchers worldwide have been conducting research and development activities to identify innovative solutions. From the effect of Medicare on a new bioengineered blood vessel, they have been determining how vascular grafts can be utilized to help patients with vascular trauma. These activities have led to a boom in the industry. According to Allied Market Research, the global vascular graft market  is expected to reach $6.21 billion by 2023. Following are some of the research activities conducted that will shape the industry in coming years.

Medicare Patients More Likely to Utilize an Arteriovenous Fistula or Graft

Having medical insurance plays a crucial role in utilizing vascular graft for patients on dialysis. Patients having medical insurance are more likely to utilize an arteriovenous fistula or graft by the fourth dialysis month than uninsured patients, according to recent research. Based on the study published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, the probability of opting for an arteriovenous fistula or graft by the fourth dialysis month was found to be raised for patients having medical insurance than uninsured patients.

As patients gained medical insurance, researchers found no considerable difference in the rate at which patients switched to arteriovenous fistulas or grafts. Eugene Lin, MD, from the Stanford University School of Medicine in Palo Alto,CA, and colleagues outlined that there would be an increased yield of arteriovenous fistula and arteriovenous graft usage as the uninsured population opts for coverage of vascular access care. This would lead to improvements in the health of a patient and healthcare costs.

According to Allied Market Research, the global vascular graft market is expected to reach $6.21 billion by 2023.

Humacyl for Patients with Vascular Trauma

R&D activities have been conducted worldwide to help patients having vascular trauma. Humacyte, a Durham-based regenerative medicine firm, has started Phase 2 of the clinical trial for Humacyl. It is a bioengineered blood vessel that can be used for patients with vascular trauma. This research would determine the effect of Humacyl in vascular replacement or reconstruction in nearly 40 adults suffering from life- or limb-threatening vascular trauma. Jeffrey Lawson, MD, PhD, president, and chief executive officer of Humacyte, noted that the number of loss of lives due to traumatic vascular injuries can be reduced significantly. Humacyl possesses the potential of becoming a first-in-class therapy for blood vessel restoration or reconstruction for a long term in case of traumatic vascular injuries. The company will conduct a Phase 2 trial of Humacyl, which will act as a bypass graft for patients suffering from the peripheral arterial disease.

Role of PLLA/PLGA/PCL Scaffold in Vascular Tissue Engineering

The rapid degradation of the vascular graft is essential for the regeneration of functional neo-vessels along with the infiltration of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) into the vascular graft. Researchers hypothesized that poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) would be miscible with poly (l-lactic acid) (PLLA); however, it would be immiscible with poly(ε-caprolactone) PCL. Then, PLGA would be placed into the PLLA/PCL blend for fabrication of macroporous nanofibrous scaffold that has enhanced biodegradability with the help of dual phase separation technique.

Researchers from Donghua University, Shanghai, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, collaborated for this research. They evaluated miscibility of PLGA with PLLA and PCL. They found that PLGA is miscible with PLLA; however, it is immiscible with PCL. Moreover, PLGA resulted in the enhanced pore size and improvement of the biodegradability of composite scaffold. This PLLA/PLGA/PCL scaffold would offer promising solutions in vascular tissue engineering for the regeneration of functional tunica media.

This article was written by Sunny Yadav, Digital Marketing Specialist for Allied Market Research, Pune, India.