A team of scientists from the University of Sydney has developed a promising new technology that can produce a material capable of mimicking the functioning of real blood vessels. It deploys the use of a naturally occurring material and was then tested on mice to observe results. It has been deduced from the findings that the bodies of mice showed no resistance to the manufactured blood vessels and, hence, their new cells and tissues kept growing naturally. The research was published in the journal “Advanced Materials.”
Professor Weiss, who is the senior author of the research, said, “Nature converts this manufactured tube over time to one that looks, behaves, and functions like a real blood vessel.” Similarly, the lead author of the study and bioengineer Dr. Ziyu Wang from the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre, stated, “Tropoelastin (the natural building block for elastin) is packaged in an elastic sheath which dissipates gradually and promotes the formation of highly organized, natural mimics of functioning blood vessels.” Hence, the technology works exceptionally well because the manufactured materials in the blood vessels eventually make them function just like “living blood vessels,” as has been explained in detail in one of the articles published by the University of Sydney.
Coupled with this, Prof. Weiss, further stated, “The technology’s ability to recreate the complex structure of biological tissues shows it has the potential to not only manufacture blood vessels to assist in surgery but also sets the scene for the future creation of other synthetic tissues such as heart valves.” No doubt, the technology is certainly a breakthrough in the field of surgery and research and would contribute to a great deal in achieving efficiency in it for future projects.
Not to mention, this promising new technology could be of more benefit to children because, traditionally, the vessels in children keep on growing, and doctors have to implant synthetic vessels as they grow with age. But this new concept will eliminate all these concerns because of its naturally manufactured materials. Regarding this, the co-author Dr. Christopher Breuer of the Center for Regenerative Medicine at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and the Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, U.S, said:
“This new technology provides the exciting foundation for the manufactured blood vessels that will continue to grow and develop over time.”
