Arteries
Currently in research and development are artificial arteries
for use in coronary bypass operations and to replace damaged
blood vessels in the leg. One vascular graft in development is
made of collagen, an animal protein, that is formed into a
tube. The graft is designed to allow a patient's own cells and
blood vessels to populate the artificial vessel. This
precludes rejection by the body and turns this non-living
product into a living blood vessel that can contract and
dilate as needed.
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