09.02.2026
Experts from several Czech institutions worked for four years on the development and testing of a unique composite that strengthens a damaged blood vessel and gradually breaks down in the body. A significant part of the research was carried out by the team of Eva Kuželová Košťáková from the Department of Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science‑Humanities and Education, Technical University of Liberec. All scientists involved in this extensive project received the Honorary Recognition from the Minister of Health for Medical Research and Development 2025.
“The fact that we received this honorary recognition was a very pleasant surprise for me. It is even more meaningful since it came a year after the conclusion of our project. The honor belongs to the entire excellent project leadership, led by the principal investigator, cardiac surgeon Jiří Moláček, and Lucie Vištejnová—both from the Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University,” said Eva Kuželová Košťáková, co-investigator of the project Biomechanically Defined Absorbable Materials for Cardiovascular Surgery.
Members of her team from the Faculty of Science‑Humanities and Education (FP TUL) were tasked with creating nanofiber layers from different biodegradable polyesters for cardiac surgeons. After modification, these materials were implanted into the bodies of experimental animals. “We did significant work in areas in which our Department of Bioengineering has a long-standing expertise and strong experience, with specialists like David Lukáš and Věra Jenčová,” explains Kuželová Košťáková, who is also vice-dean of FP TUL. The goal was to replace permanent Gore-Tex bandages with absorbable ones.
Modern cardiovascular surgery relies on artificial vascular substitutes, used for bypasses, patches, or external vessel support. Pulmonary artery banding (PAB) in infants is a typical procedure, traditionally performed using Gore-Tex, a material based on the “permanent” chemical polytetrafluoroethylene that the body cannot break down.
The project aimed to find a more suitable composite. The bandage had to be mechanically strong yet flexible enough to be wrapped around a diseased vessel by a cardiac surgeon. It needed to reinforce the vessel wall, support regeneration, regulate blood flow, integrate into the vessel tissue, and gradually dissolve—eliminating the need for surgical removal.
The research involved four scientific institutions. The Bioengineering Department team at TUL created nanofiber layers from various biodegradable polyesters using Nanospider™ technology. At the Institute of Rock Structure and Mechanics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, the nanofibers were infused with a collagen matrix. Operations and main animal testing were performed at the Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, with cardiac surgeons from the Faculty Hospital participating. Biomechanical testing of both primary and explanted materials was conducted at the Czech Technical University in Prague.
Researchers monitored the biomechanical properties of blood vessels with the bandage and control samples in vivo, ensuring that the vessel walls with the developed bandage had comparable mechanical properties to healthy vessels. Eva Kuželová Košťáková says: “We worked with pig and rabbit models. In both cases, the final tests were on carotid arteries.”
The new material gradually decomposes into water and carbon dioxide. The optimal material proved to be nanofibers made from a copolymer of caprolactone and lactic acid with higher surface density. Nanofiber layers were produced at TUL using Nanospider™ technology, which allows precise and repeatable production in a short time.
The polymer is biodegradable, breaking down in the body through gradual cleavage of polymer chains into natural metabolites—water and carbon dioxide. Degradation rate depends on the material’s shape, surface area, and combination with collagen.
The bandage was designed to function mechanically for about eight weeks—the healing and tissue ingrowth period. Complete decomposition of the material was observed after approximately six months.
The research faced several challenges. In vivo testing was likened to a “black box,” with surprises along the way. For example, when attempting to remove a Gore-Tex control sample from a rat’s abdominal cavity after a few weeks, instead of a small rectangle, the material had been reshaped into a long strand, shocking even experienced surgeons.
The journey from lab bench to patient is always long. The team demonstrated that the material is safe, functional, and reproducible. “We have shown a possible pathway. The next phase would be clinical evaluation and certification,” said the team leader, without specifying when it could be used in human patients.
For Eva Kuželová Košťáková, this success is a personal milestone—it was her first project as co-investigator leading at TUL. She also sees it as significant from an educational perspective: “It is important for our bioengineering students. They see that their work matters and is recognized by the professional community.”
