Key result
Decellularized porcine aortic valves maintain tissue integrity and promote host recellularization over ~5 months.
Why the study?
The feasibility of constructing a tissue-engineered heart valve on an acellular porcine aortic valve leaflet was evaluated due to the need for viable valve reconstruction methods.
May inform bioengineered valve design for congenital defects; leaves open human translation pending clinical trials.
The feasibility of constructing a tissue-engineered heart valve on an acellular porcine aortic valve leaflet was evaluated. A detergent and enzymatic extraction process was developed to remove the cellular components from porcine aortic valves. The acellular valve leaflets were seeded for 7 days in vitro with cells from canine arterial wall and endothelial cells. The constructs were implanted into the lumens of 6 canine abdominal aortas to assess the reconstruction of the valve leaflets. It was found that all cellular components had been removed from the porcine aortic valves. The valve leaflets were completely reconstructed at the end of the 10th week in vivo. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the valve leaflets were partially covered with endothelial cells. It was concluded that porcine aortic valves can be decellularized by the detergent and enzymatic extraction process and it is feasible to construct a tissue-engineered heart valve in vivo on an acellular valve scaffold.
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Li et al. (2003) studied Valvular heart disease (animal model) (n=5). Decellularized and sterilized porcine aortic valve vs. Native porcine valves / pre-implant decellularized valves (for mechanical testing) was evaluated on In vivo recellularization and hemodynamic performance. Implantation of decellularized and sterilized porcine aortic valves into the right ventricular outflow tract of sheep demonstrated maintained tissue integrity, normal filling pressures, and successful host-cell recellularization over 5 months.
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