Intravascular Device for Delivery of Engineered Cells Developed

A new intravascular stent developed by researchers at University College Cork in Ireland can deliver genetically engineered smooth muscle cells to vascular obstructions.

 

This will help in generation of high levels of a molecule called VEGF, which in turn promotes growth of new blood vessels. Medgadget reports that in an experiment on pigs that had complete blockages, this technique resulted in an increase of blood flow around the occlusions and resulted in the creation of a bypass, which was possible previously only by surgery. 

Researchers hope this technique could soon be available in humans and prove useful for patients needing coronary artery bypass grafting. 

 Source:University College Cork in Ireland