The cellular response to a polyurethane surface modified with vascular extracellular matrix proteins - towards the development of a cell-seeded small-diameter vascular graft

The aim of this work is to develop an artificial artery for use in bypass surgery. The hybrid artery consists of a porous tubular scaffold made from a polyurethane elastomer. The surface of the polymer is then modified with recombinant proteins in order to encourage the growth of organised layers of vascular cells.