| Title: |
Preclinical Testing of Living Tissue-Engineered Heart Valves for Pediatric Patients, Challenges and Opportunities |
| Authors: |
Movileanu, Ionela; Harpa, Marius; Al Hussein, Hussam; Harceaga, Lucian; Chertes, Alexandru; Al Hussein, Hamida; Lutter, Georg; Pühler, Thomas; Preda, Terezia; Sircuta, Carmen; Cotoi, Ovidiu; Nistor, Dan; Man, Adrian; Cordos, Bogdan; Deac, Radu; Suciu, Horatiu; Brinzaniuc, Klara; Casco, Megan; Sierad, Leslie; Bruce, Margarita; Simionescu, Dan; Simionescu, Agneta |
| Publication Year: |
2021 |
| Collection: |
Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel: MACAU |
| Subject Terms: |
article; ScholarlyArticle; ddc:610; Published Version; Orthotopic implantation; Cell Seeding; Autologous Cells; Acellular Scaffolds; Bioreactor Conditioning |
| Description: |
Introduction: Pediatric patients with cardiac congenital diseases require heart valve implants that can grow with their natural somatic increase in size. Current artificial valves perform poorly in children and cannot grow; thus, living-tissue-engineered valves capable of sustaining matrix homeostasis could overcome the current drawbacks of artificial prostheses and minimize the need for repeat surgeries. Materials and Methods: To prepare living-tissue-engineered valves, we produced completely acellular ovine pulmonary valves by perfusion. We then collected autologous adipose tissue, isolated stem cells, and differentiated them into fibroblasts and separately into endothelial cells. We seeded the fibroblasts in the cusp interstitium and onto the root adventitia and the endothelial cells inside the lumen, conditioned the living valves in dedicated pulmonary heart valve bioreactors, and pursued orthotopic implantation of autologous cell-seeded valves with 6 months follow-up. Unseeded valves served as controls. Results: Perfusion decellularization yielded acellular pulmonary valves that were stable, no degradable in vivo, cell friendly and biocompatible, had excellent hemodynamics, were not immunogenic or inflammatory, non thrombogenic, did not calcify in juvenile sheep, and served as substrates for cell repopulation. Autologous adipose-derived stem cells were easy to isolate and differentiate into fibroblasts and endothelial-like cells. Cell-seeded valves exhibited preserved viability after progressive bioreactor conditioning and functioned well in vivo for 6 months. At explantation, the implants and anastomoses were intact, and the valve root was well integrated into host tissues; valve leaflets were unchanged in size, non fibrotic, supple, and functional. |
| Document Type: |
article in journal/newspaper |
| Language: |
English |
| Relation: |
Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine -- 2297-055X; https://doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2021.707892 |
| DOI: |
10.3389/fcvm.2021.707892 |
| Availability: |
https://doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2021.707892; https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:gbv:8:3-2021-00780-4; https://macau.uni-kiel.de/receive/macau_mods_00002081; https://macau.uni-kiel.de/servlets/MCRFileNodeServlet/macau_derivate_00003170/fcvm-08-707892.pdf |
| Rights: |
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ; info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
| Accession Number: |
edsbas.5503E27A |
| Database: |
BASE |