Effect of exogenous transforming growth factor beta one on vascular smooth muscle cells in deep microchannels

Abstract

The creation of a functioning vascular tunica media, with circumferentially positioned contractile vascular smooth muscle cells (vSMCs) and extracellular matrix, suitable mechanical characteristics and vasoactivity has yet to be established for tissue engineering of small calibre blood vessels. Synthetic vSMC is preferred for cell proliferation needed for vessel remodeling but the contractile vSMC is essential for sufficient vasoactivity and prevention of neoinitima formation. The vessels' tunica media is composed chiefly of vSMCs that when possessing contractile phenotype will endow the vessel with contractility-vasoactivity. The transformation of SMC phenotype from synthetic to contractile at the correct cell development stage has been hypothesized to be crucial for producing a functional vascular tunica media.