Patent ID: 8192348

Claim:
A method of making an engineered blood vessel comprising an endothelial intimal layer surrounded by a smooth muscle medial layer, said method comprising contacting one or more factors with a matrix that is combined with endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells, wherein neither said endothelial cells combined with said matrix nor said smooth muscle cells combined with said matrix is exposed to said factors prior to combining both said endothelial cells and said smooth muscle cells with said matrix, said matrix that is combined with said endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells being circumferentially positioned around a tubular support, said factors being contained inside of said tubular support, wherein said support allows said one or more factors to move from the inside of said tubular support to said endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells in combination with said matrix, wherein said contacting results in the formation of said endothelial intimal layer surrounded by said smooth muscle medial layer, and wherein said one or more factors comprises: i) one or more mitogenic factors and one or more attractant factors; and/or ii) one or more mitoattractant factors.