Vascular casted prostheses and methods of forming same for treating biological tissue

1. A method for treating damaged biological structures and tissue, comprising the steps of:

providing a tissue prosthesis comprising a reinforced mammalian tissue structure, said mammalian tissue structure comprising sterilized and acellular extracellular matrix (ECM) from a mammalian tissue source, said mammalian tissue structure further comprising an intact, continuous, reinforced, sterilized and acellular internal vasculature, said internal vasculature and mammalian tissue structure being sterilized and decellularized by perfusion of a sterilant into said internal vasculature,

said vasculature being infused with a polymeric composition comprising a polymeric material selected from the group consisting of polyglycolide (PGA), polylactide (PLA), poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL), poly dioxanone, poly lactide-co-glycolide, polyamide esters, polyalkalene esters, polyvinyl esters, polyvinyl alcohol, and polyanhydrides, and mixtures thereof,

said tissue prosthesis being capable of inducing modulated healing of damaged biological tissue when disposed proximate thereto, said modulated healing comprising modulation of an inflammatory phase of said damaged biological tissue, and induced host cell and tissue proliferation, bioremodeling of said damaged biological tissue, neovascularization and regeneration of new tissue and tissue structures with site-specific structural and functional properties; and

disposing said tissue prosthesis proximate first damaged tissue of a biological structure, wherein said tissue prosthesis induces said modulated healing of said first damaged tissue.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said sterilized and acellular ECM comprises a crosslinked sterilized and acellular ECM.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said mammalian tissue source comprises mammalian tissue selected from the group consisting of small intestine submucosa, urinary bladder submucosa, stomach submucosa, placental tissue, mesothelial tissue, cardiac tissue, kidney tissue, pancreas tissue, and lung tissue.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said tissue structure comprises a planar tissue structure.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said tissue structure comprises a seamless tubular tissue structure.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein said seamless tubular tissue structure comprises a segment of a mammalian structure selected from the group consisting of mammalian intestine, umbilical artery, umbilical vein, ureter, mesenteric vessel and jugular vein.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein said seamless tubular tissue structure comprises a segment of adolescent small intestine.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said polymeric composition further comprises a biologically active agent.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein said biologically active agent comprises a growth factor selected from the group consisting of a transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-α), transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), and vascular epithelial growth factor (VEGF).

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein said polymeric composition further comprises a pharmacological agent.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein said pharmacological agent comprises a statin selected from the group consisting of atorvastatin, cerivastatin, fluvastatin, lovastatin, mevastatin, pitavastatin, pravastatin, rosuvastatin and simvastatin.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein said pharmacological agent comprises an anti-inflammatory selected from the group consisting of desoximetasone, diftalone, flazalone, ibuprofen, ibuprofen aluminum, ibuprofen piconol, and rimexolone.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein said mammalian tissue structure further comprises a supplemental biologically active agent.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein said supplemental second biologically active agent comprises a basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF).