The discovery represents a step toward finding alternatives to surgically treating heart disease, one of the principal causes of worldwide death. “By using hydrogels and polymers, we have managed to successfully develop bilayered hollow fibres that mimic the architecture of native blood vessels” explained Èlia Bosch, the article’s leading author.  

 

The cells introduced into this structure are also capable of aligning themselves in the same way they would in a real blood vessel and without having to apply perfusion stimuli. “This achievement is particularly significant in the case of smooth muscle cells, as their concentric alignment facilitates vasoconstriction and vasodilation, two important processes that regulate arterial pressure”, stated the researcher. These 3D structures have proven to be stable and capable of maintaining a tubular structure, therefore allowing the introduction of specific vascular cells found in the arteries such as endothelial and smooth muscle cells.