Functionalized biodegradable electrospun scaffolds and nanoengineered particles as innovative tools for vascular medicine

Abstract

In the Western World, atherosclerosis-related diseases, including coronary and peripheral arterial pathologies, are one of the most common cause of morbidity and mortality. In some cases, in order to restore the blood flow, preserving all the functions of the downstream tissue, is necessary to introduce an arterial bypass or substitute in the patient. If autologous veins or artery are not available for different reasons (previous harvest, anatomical defects and anomalies, disease progression, other vascular problems etc.), artificial vascular constructs are required