The Development of a PGG Loaded Polymer Based Vessel Graft

School Name

Governor's School for Science & Mathematics

Grade Level

12th Grade

Presentation Topic

Engineering

Presentation Type

Mentored

Mentor

Mentor: Jorge Rodríguez-Dévora, Clemson University

Oral Presentation Award

5th Place

Abstract

The current model of vascular graft replacements for the coronary artery focuses on the use of autotransplantations. Over 500,000 coronary artery bypass autotransplants are performed annually. A growing problem with the use of autotransplants is that 1/3 of autotransplant patients lack the vessels necessary for the procedure due to advanced vascular disease or past vessel harvests. The development of a physiologically compatible polymer based cardiovascular device using the electro-spinning technique has the potential to solve this problem. Efforts to construct an electro-spun graft show that a major issue in the development of such a device is elastin degradation. Elastin is an essential protein throughout the body that allows tissues to stretch and recoil. Without elastin, vascular grafts will degrade and decrease the quality of coronary artery function. PGG (Penta Galloyl Glucose) has been proven to increase the preservation of elastin. The goal of this project, therein, is to develop a method to load PGG to biologically compatible polymers such as Stratoprene 3534 and Ingeo-Biopolymer 2003D in order to decrease elastin degradation. The first step towards meeting this goal is testing to see if PGG will bind to the polymer without the addition of an elastin substrate. To test this, a standard curve for PGG was obtained through the application of a Ferric Chloride Assay and several more assays were performed with the addition of the polymers. The results of the assays with the polymers showed that PGG will not bind to the polymers by itself.

Location

Wall 223

Start Date

3-25-2017 11:30 AM

Presentation Format

Oral and Written

Group Project

No

COinS
 
Mar 25th, 11:30 AM

The Development of a PGG Loaded Polymer Based Vessel Graft

Wall 223

The current model of vascular graft replacements for the coronary artery focuses on the use of autotransplantations. Over 500,000 coronary artery bypass autotransplants are performed annually. A growing problem with the use of autotransplants is that 1/3 of autotransplant patients lack the vessels necessary for the procedure due to advanced vascular disease or past vessel harvests. The development of a physiologically compatible polymer based cardiovascular device using the electro-spinning technique has the potential to solve this problem. Efforts to construct an electro-spun graft show that a major issue in the development of such a device is elastin degradation. Elastin is an essential protein throughout the body that allows tissues to stretch and recoil. Without elastin, vascular grafts will degrade and decrease the quality of coronary artery function. PGG (Penta Galloyl Glucose) has been proven to increase the preservation of elastin. The goal of this project, therein, is to develop a method to load PGG to biologically compatible polymers such as Stratoprene 3534 and Ingeo-Biopolymer 2003D in order to decrease elastin degradation. The first step towards meeting this goal is testing to see if PGG will bind to the polymer without the addition of an elastin substrate. To test this, a standard curve for PGG was obtained through the application of a Ferric Chloride Assay and several more assays were performed with the addition of the polymers. The results of the assays with the polymers showed that PGG will not bind to the polymers by itself.