Blood Vessels Grown in Lab Safely Used in Dialysis Patients
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Blood vessels grown in a laboratory were safely implanted in three kidney disease patients, enabling them to have regular dialysis without relying on traditional shunts that caused complications and failed, researchers said.
The foot-long vessels were engineered from donor skin cells, grown on sheets and rolled around temporary supports to form a cylindrical shape, according to the report released by the American Heart Association. The “off-the-shelf” vessels, which connected an artery to a vein in the arm, gave doctors access to the patients’ blood so they could perform dialysis.