Bioprosthetic Heart Valves Implanted with Viable Human Cells / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

ABSTRACT

Current bioprosthetic heart valves implanted with viable human cells can be categorized into two basic designs, tissue engineering heart valve and porcine aortic valve implanted with viable human cells. Tissue engineering heart valve is constructed by seeding a synthetic polyglycolic acid fiber based biodegradable scaffold with viable human autologous cells. The fibroblasts are first seeded on valve scaffold. When the fibroblasts reached confluence, endothelial cells are seeded onto the surface of leaflets and grown into a single monolayer. Porcine aortic valve implanted with viable human cells is generated by removing native cells from tissue and then repopulating the tissue with viable human autologous cells. The method of removing native cells from fresh porcine aortic valve comprises subjecting the valve tissue to a hypotonic/hypertonic treatment, then treating the valve tissue with an enzyme-based solution. Isolated cell lines are cultured and thereafter such a valve matrix is implanted with fibroblasts, followed by endothelial cells. Bioprosthetic heart valves implanted with viable human cells do not produce and adverse immune response by the recipient upon implant, and possesses the regenerative capabilities.