The role of bacterial cellulose in artificial blood vessels

摘要

Cardiovascular diseases are major causes of death worldwide, with pathologies including stroke, myocardial infarction, and vascular disease. Vascular grafts may be necessary to treat cardiovascular disease. The replacement of blood vessels has been very challenging in biomedical research. Dacron, ePTFE, and polyurethane are the most commonly used materials for artificial blood vessels. Bacterial cellulose (BC) synthesized by Gluconacetobacter xylinus exhibits unique properties including high purity, biocompatibility, resistance to degradation and low solubility. BC has been widely studied for applications in biomedical materials such as wound dressing and artificial skin. Recent studies have shown that BC is a promising material for preparing artificial blood vessels. This review provides a concise overview of current studies of BC and explores strategies for its clinical use.