New research may have uncovered a way to grow human veins

A scientist from the United States has just recently formed bio-engineered human veins in a laboratory in hope to advance kidney dialysis and bypass surgery procedures.

Scientists stated that they could make completely developed vascular grafts in about 8-10 weeks with a procedure that uses uses human cadaver cells and grafts these to tubes that are made up of polyglycolic acid.

Since bio-engineered veins could be placed in saline solutions, surgeons can easily use them as a potential treatment option for patients.

In a recent publication of Science Transitional Medicine journal, these veins are prepared beforehand and can be ready when necessary.

According to Dr. Allan Kypson, an expert from East Carolina University, grafting with the patient’s own veins is still the common practice nowadays. He further added that a patients leg may be a potential place to harvest a vein from, but it could result in certain complications. Bio-engineered veins also serve as a vital new method to offer heart bypasses to patients who don’t have suitable veins for grafting.

These veins are hygienic and sterile, thus they don’t carry the risk of a patient’s immune system rejecting them. They can also be designed in numerous sizes.

Trials involving humans are anticipated to start very soon, which would may potentially be a medical breakthrough since according to American Heart Association, approximately 400,000 bypass surgeries are performed yearly in United States.