Drug eluting grafts for hemodialysis access.

The development of new methods for drug elution of graft material, biofiber films and resurfacing of prosthetic graft surfaces offers new opportunities for improvement of graft function in arteriovenous (AV) access. Three areas of research include developing grafts that reduce the development of neointimal hyperplasia, reducing infection and reducing thrombogenicity. The only drug eluting graft presently being used, is the heparin coated expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) graft, which has been shown to decrease the incidence of early thrombosis. New drug eluting grafts include those with paclitaxel and those with antibiotics. The development of a hybrid coated prosthetic graft that can deliver targeted gene therapies holds great promise in the field.