TERMIS 2021 | Delivering cell therapies in abdominal aortic aneurysms

Ngan Huang, PhD, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, describes the development of novel systems to deliver stem cells to the aorta in patients with an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). AAA can be life-threatening in patients and delivering therapies to the area remain a challenge due to the fragility of the aorta. Stem cells enable the repair of damaged smooth muscle cells and the production of elastin, and reinforced scaffolds can safely deliver the stem cells to the aorta via the adventitia, the outermost layer of the vessel. This interview took place at the 6th World Congress of the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS 2021).