Houman Savoji^1,2, Afra Hadjizadeh^3,†, Marion Maire¹, Abdellah Ajji^2,3, Michael R. Wertheimer^2,4,* and Sophie Lerouge^1,5,* Version of Record online: 17 APR 2014 DOI: 10.1002/mabi.201300545 © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim

 In the quest to reduce risk of thrombosis in vascular grafts, it is essential to provide a surface with morphological and mechanical properties close to those of the extracellular matrix beneath the  luminal endothelium, and to favor the growth of a confluent, stable monolayer of endothelial cells. This is accomplished here by combining electrospun poly(ethyleneterephthalate) (PET) mats with an  amine-rich thin plasma-polymerized coating, designated ‘‘L-PPE:N.’’ Its deposition does not modify the open, highly porous mats and leads only to small changes in mechanical properties. L-PPE:N  significantly improves the adhesion and growth of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and their resistance to flow-induced shear stress. These properties favor the formation of desired  confluent HUVEC monolayers on the topmost surface, unlike conventional vascular grafts (ePTFE or woven PET), where cells migrate inside the material. This combination is therefore highly advantageous for the pre-endothelialization of the luminal side of small-diameter vascular prostheses.

1. Introduction

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause o f premature death worldwide, occlusion of blood vessels being a major problem. [1] Autologous grafts from patients’ own veins or arteries can provide a solution when angioplasty or stenting are not feasible, but not when treatment is impeded by previous surgery or antecedent…

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