Personalized Veins Developed in Seville Show Promise for Treating Deep Venous Insufficiency

A pioneering project developed by the Andalusian Network for Design and Translation of Advanced Therapies, under the direction of the Angiology and Vascular Surgery service of the Valme Hospital in Seville, has presented the first clinical trial in humans to implant personalized tissue-engineered veins. The study, presented at the American Venous Forum in Atlanta, involves replacing a diseased femoral vein with a healthy, modified vein using tissue engineering. Eleven patients have undergone the procedure, showing improved quality of life after a year of monitoring. The treatment offers a potential alternative to compression stockings for chronic deep venous insufficiency, a condition caused by malfunctioning valves in leg veins. Several Spanish hospitals have joined the trial, highlighting national scientific interest in the Andalusian initiative. The procedure involves removing cells from a donor vein and replacing them with components from the patient's own blood, creating a personalized graft.