Creating autologous blood vessels within 28 days with no foreign material left in the body

Vacis, simplified

Vacis, simplified

VACIS’ technology uses a synthetic rod, which is inserted under the skin and induces the formation of a new, fully functional blood vessel. After approximately 28 days implantation, the rod-like device is removed leaving in place an in-situ formed vessel of fibrocollagenous tissue with a high burst pressure.

New blood vessel

New blood vessel

This vessel matures into a functional blood vessel following connection into the blood circulation. The blood vessel is cell right and alive and can immediately adapt to circumstances.

The ultimate biocompatibility

The ultimate biocompatibility

body own blood vessel without foreign cells or foreign materials. No complicated or costly processes, cell cultures or laboratoria, or the use of allo- or xenografts

In situ tissue engineered blood vessels

In situ tissue engineered blood vessels

  • Within 28 days a new autologous blood vessel
  • Grown in the patient where vascular graft is needed
  • No foreign materials left in the patient after 28 days

Established technology

Established technology

  • 8 Years development and validation
  • Patent pending

Platform technology

Platform technology

  • Replace blood vessels for hemodialysis access or peripheral arterial occlusive diseases
  • Potential to address other fields such as urology and connective tissues

Team

About us

  • VACIS is the leading tissue engineering company for body-own blood vessels

  • VACIS develops in situ tissue engineered blood vessels providing novel therapeutic options for vascular surgery. Prosthetic vascular graft failure is a frequent complication in vascular surgery with substantial morbidity and health care costs. VACIS provides patients autologous graft vessels, with sustained patency and fewer complications requiring less corrective interventions.

  • Vascular grafts are needed in many areas of medicine. VACIS initially focuses on vascular access in patients undergoing hemodialysis. Other indications will follow after clinical validation of the technology in hemodialysis. Such other indications include peripheral arterial occlusive disease.

  • VACIS provides an advantage over other therapeutic options in the hemodialysis access market. Current solutions have a low patency: many arteriovasculair fistulas fail to mature or no adequate vein is available; the foreign material in synthetic grafts lead to infection, stenosis, thrombosis etc. and the synthetic material does not heal after cannulation.

Contact Information

  •  Vacis B.V.
  •  Gaetano Martinolaan 63 - 65, 6229 GS Maastricht
  •  KvK 66864321
  •  BTW NL8567.30.439B01

    

Publications

 

Development and evaluation of in vivo tissue engineered blood vessels in a porcine model.
Rothuizen TC, Damanik FF, Lavrijsen T, Visser MJ, Hamming JF, Lalai RA, Duijs JM, van
Zonneveld AJ, Hoefer IE, van Blitterswijk CA, Rabelink TJ, Moroni L, Rotmans JI. Biomaterials.
2015 Oct 19;75:82-90.
link
Tailoring the foreign body response for in situ
vascular tissue engineering. Rothuizen TC, Damanik F, Rotmans JI et al.Tissue Engineering Part C 2014 Oct 22.
link
Towards an in vitro model mimicking the foreign
body response: tailoring the surface properties of biomaterials to modulate extracellular matrix. Damanik F, Rothuizen TC, Rotmans JI et al.
Sci. Rep. 4, 6325
link

Contact