Humacyte announces publication of preclinical study on HAV to expanded ePTFE

Humacyte announced the publication of a preclinical study in the Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery comparing the use of its Human Acellular Vessel, HAV, to expanded polytetrafluorethylene, ePTFE, grafts for vascular repair following arterial trauma. In the preclinical study the HAV performed better than ePTFE on multiple indices. In this comparative preclinical study, 36 pigs were randomly assigned to treatment groups receiving either the HAV or an ePTFE graft to reconstruct a severed iliac artery after vascular trauma. The animals were monitored for 28 days and routinely assessed for recovery of hind limb function, graft patency, and circulating biochemical markers of tissue ischemia and reperfusion injury. At the conclusion of the study, the HAV and ePTFE implants were removed and histologically evaluated for host cellular response. The data observed in this preclinical study indicate that the HAV performed better than ePTFE on multiple indices, including recovery of limb function after six hours of ischemia and conduit patency. In addition, the HAV showed no incidence of infection, degradation, aneurysm or mechanical failure. Host recellularization of the HAV conduits was observed to be greater than that of ePTFE grafts. "We believe the results of this study underscore the potential of the HAV to save the lives and limbs of those suffering from vascular injury and peripheral tissue ischemia," said Rob Kirkton, Ph.D., Director of New Product Development at Humacyte and lead author of the publication.