Scaffolds represent one of the key components in the tissue engineering
triad. Construction of a vascular graft begins with the scaffold that acts as the base
building material. Whether natural or synthetic, selecting the right scaffold material is
essential to ensure the structural integrity of a graft. The structural integrity could
further be strengthened with the addition of cells and regulatory signals that make up
the whole tissue engineering triad. In this chapter, a selection of scaffold materials is
discussed, and cell seeding strategies are later elaborated, covering the principle of the
tissue engineering triad in vascular research.
Keywords: Blood vessel, Scaffold, Small diameter vascular graft, Tissue engineering triad, Vascular scaffold.
