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J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2007;134:152-159
© 2007 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery

Evolving Technology

Development of an in vivo tissue-engineered, autologous heart valve (the biovalve): Preparation of a prototype model

^a Department of Bioengineering, Advanced Medical Engineering Center, National Cardiovascular Center Research Institute, Osaka, Japan
^b Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
^c System Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
^d Division of Biotechnology and Macromolecular Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.

Received for publication August 8, 2006; revisions received November 6, 2006; accepted for publication January 5, 2007.

^_* Corresponding authors: Drs. Nakayama and Kanda. Address for reprints: Yasuhide Nakayama, PhD, Department of Bioengineering, Advanced Medical Engineering Center, National Cardiovascular Center Research Institute, 5-7-1 Fujishiro-dai, Suita, Osaka 565-8565, Japan. (Email: nakayama{at}ri.ncvc.go.jp).

Objective: This study aimed to develop an autologous heart valve without using traditional in vitro tissue-engineering methods, which necessitate complicated cell management protocols under exceptionally clean laboratory facilities.

Methods: An autologous heart valve construct composed of trileaflets was prepared using a specially designed mold. The mold was prepared by covering a silicone rod with a crown-shaped tubular polyurethane scaffold containing 3 horns. The mold was implanted in the dorsal subcutaneous space in Japan White rabbits for 4 weeks. After harvesting, the implanted trileaflet valve-shaped structure with an internal diameter of either 5 or 20 mm was obtained by trimming the membranous tissue formed between the horns located around the silicone rod. The valve substitute was examined both macroscopically and histologically. The tensile strength of the leaflets was measured to rupture. The degree of regurgitation in valve function was evaluated using a flow circuit by calculating the ratio of the regurgitation volume to the forward flow volume.

Results: After implantation, the mold was completely covered with connective tissue consisting mostly of collagen and fibroblasts. Harvesting of the mold was straightforward, because there was little adhesion between the formed tissue and the native skin tissue. The trileaflet heart valve construct was obtained after withdrawing the inserted rods and trimming the membranous tissues formed between the horns of the scaffold. It was firmly attached to the scaffold, the interstices and surface of which revealed connective tissues composed of components similar to those of the leaflet tissue. Although the mechanical properties of the leaflet tissue were less efficient than those of the native porcine aortic valve leaflets, satisfactory valvular functions were demonstrated under pulsatile conditions using a flow circuit. No regurgitation was observed under retrograde hydrostatic pressures of up to 60 mm Hg, the physiologic pressure acting on the aortic valves during retrograde aortic flow.

Conclusions: The biovalve, an autologous, in vivo tissue-engineered, trileaflet, valve-shaped construct, was developed using our novel in-body tissue architecture technology. The biovalve has the potential to be an ideal prosthetic heart valve, with excellent biocompatibility to the growth of the recipient’s heart.

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				F. J. Schoen Evolving Concepts of Cardiac Valve Dynamics: The Continuum of Development, Functional Structure, Pathobiology, and Tissue Engineering Circulation, October 28, 2008; 118(18): 1864 - 1880. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H.-H. Sievers In vivo tissue engineering an autologous semilunar biovalve: Can we get what we want? J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg., July 1, 2007; 134(1): 20 - 22. [Full Text] [PDF]