In April, I had the opportunity to present my work on developing a novel bioabsorbable vascular graft to regenerate damaged arteries at the 30th annual conference of the Australasian Society for Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering held in Adelaide, South Australia.
My research looks at finding an alternative option for vascular graft replacement surgeries as the current options, while lifesaving in many cases, can fail over time leading to organ damage, limb amputations and even death. Currently, surgeons have two main options; autologous grafts (vessels harvested from the patient) and synthetic grafts (manufactured materials). However, due to the systemic nature of most cardiovascular diseases, the availability of suitable autologous grafts can be limited. In addition, synthetic grafts like Gore-Tex and Dacron often fail overtime due to suboptimal physiological and mechanical properties.
Our work aims to address these limitations by developing a degradable vascular graft which facilitates the regeneration of vessels. Ultimately, the implanted graft will remodel into a native-like vessel, mimicking the structure and function of healthy arteries. If successful, this graft could revolutionise vascular surgery, providing an ‘off the shelf’ solution and improving surgical outcomes.
The Australasian Society for Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering conference brought together a diverse community of researchers, clinicians and industry professionals providing a valuable platform to share ideas, receive feedback, foster collaborations and gain insights into the latest tissue engineering techniques. I am extremely grateful to The Baird Institute and its supporters for making it possible for me to attend and share my work. It was a fantastic experience which will ultimately help to elevate my research.
