Heart valve tissue engineering: how far is the bedside from the bench?

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Regenerative Medicine
• Cardiovascular Research

Background:

• Heart disease, particularly valve pathologies, remains a leading global cause of mortality.
• Current heart valve replacement technologies necessitate future re-interventions, posing significant challenges for pediatric and young adult patients requiring valve growth.
• A need exists for advanced heart valve substitutes that address limitations like thrombosis, structural deterioration, and xenoinfections.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current state of heart valve (HV) therapy.
• To identify challenges in developing novel tissue-engineered heart valve (TEHV) approaches.
• To explore the potential of TEHVs as therapeutic solutions and research models.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive literature review of existing heart valve replacement strategies.
• Analysis of tissue engineering principles applied to cardiovascular applications.
• Evaluation of TEHV designs, materials, and preclinical/clinical data.

Main Results:

• Tissue-engineered heart valves (TEHVs) are emerging as a highly promising alternative to conventional heart valve prostheses.
• TEHVs demonstrate potential to mitigate risks associated with current implants, including thrombosis, degeneration, and infection.
• The development of TEHVs is crucial for addressing the unmet needs in pediatric cardiology and for advancing regenerative medicine.

Conclusions:

• Tissue-engineered heart valves represent a significant advancement in cardiovascular therapy, offering a potential long-term solution for heart valve replacement.
• Further research and development are essential to overcome challenges in TEHV fabrication, implantation, and long-term functionality.
• TEHVs hold promise not only for clinical application but also as valuable tools for understanding heart valve development and disease.