Molecular aspects of vascular tissue engineering.

Cardiovascular disease remains the number one cause of death in the United States. Most current surgical procedures to alleviate this disease rely on the availability of suitable small diameter vascular grafts, which are constrained by several limitations. Tissue engineering brings new hope to this field, but still faces many challenges. This review focuses on the molecular aspects of the different components of vascular tissue engineering. The topics addressed include the cell type, extracellular matrix, and physical and biochemical stimulation with respect to their role in the development of a tissue engineered vascular graft.