本研究計畫共含一個總計畫及三個子計畫，主要目的是以組織工程方法建構全生物性人工血管。總計畫以設立核心設備為主軸，三個子計畫之間彼此有密切關連。子計畫一以建構血管基質、培養內皮細胞及平滑肌細胞，及建立人工血管為主，子計畫二則以分析血管形成過程中細胞形態、基因、蛋白分子的表現及生理功能為主，子計畫三則為動物移植實驗，本計畫的特色是使用一個自然的，無過敏反應的物質（羊膜）做為建構人工血管的基質（專利申請中），其下加上一層PGA 或改良後的高分子物質做為支架，形成人工血管，再加以機械性刺激便成為一個具生理功能性的血管而後進入動物實驗。我們初步實驗已證實血管內皮細胞可穩定的生長在羊膜上，應是一個非常理想的細胞與外基質的連接物質，可克服過去內皮細胞無法完全沾黏在基質上的缺點。?因應本計劃之執行，於總計劃中以添購一項核心儀器：高速同步定量偵測系統（real-timeRT-PCR）。Real-time RT-PCR為子計畫一探討套討基因表達的基本儀器，目前已裝置完成，並且已有良好的實驗初步結果，詳細成果見子計畫一。 In the last 10 to 15 years, tremendous progress in cell biology and cell culture have lead to the birth of the field of tissue engineering. One of the primary objectives in the field is to use cultured cells to recreate functional tissues and organs in order to provide "replacement parts" that can be grafted into humans. Here we propose to fabricate BVE by a tissue engineering approach. We plan to develop our BVE in 5 progressive stages. In each, the structure-function of the "BVE" will be carefully and thouroughly examined to provide datafor procedure modifications and to ensure its possible perfection. The uniqueness of this proposal is that a natural, relatively non-immunogenic substrate will be used as the main scaffold for the fabrication. Amniotic Membrane(AM) has been successfully used as scaffold by one of us to tissue engineer human corneal surface for transplantation with good clinical outcomes. Preliminary study showed that vascular EC can form stable monolayer on AM with well defined rudimentary hemidesmosomes, suggesting a good cell-matrix integration (patent pending). Thus, it is possible that our BVE will possess the intrinsic properties to circumvent the draw backs encountered by other BVE models. In the fist year of the integrated project, a real-time RT-PCR has been set up in the laboratory. The preliminary result were collected and presented in component project-1.
