Aortic valve disease: Novel animal models for advancing our understanding of the underlying mechanisms

The global public health burden of aortic valve disease (AVD) is growing due to its high mortality rate and lack of suitable pharmaceutical therapies in clinical practice, a challenge that is largely attributable to our poor understanding of its complicated underlying mechanisms. A better understanding of the pathological processes underlying AVD is urgently needed to identify novel therapeutic options. Appropriate animal models are emerging as vital tools for basic and translational research, and the development of new models and the important information they have provided has significantly aided our research. However, different animal models have unique limitations in their ability to mimic human AVD pathology. In this review, we summarize the available AVD animal models and provide a detailed description of the major principles underlying each animal model, including methodology, pathological features, and potential use and application in AVD research. Both the advantages and disadvantages of specific models are also carefully highlighted; thus this comprehensive review provides a valuable animal model reference for both basic and preclinical researchers.