Guided tissue regeneration in heart valve replacement: from preclinical research to first-in-human trials

Biomed Res Int. 2015:2015:432901. doi: 10.1155/2015/432901. Epub 2015 Oct 1.

Abstract

Heart valve tissue-guided regeneration aims to offer a functional and viable alternative to current prosthetic replacements. Not requiring previous cell seeding and conditioning in bioreactors, such exceptional tissue engineering approach is a very fascinating translational regenerative strategy. After in vivo implantation, decellularized heart valve scaffolds drive their same repopulation by recipient's cells for a prospective autologous-like tissue reconstruction, remodeling, and adaptation to the somatic growth of the patient. With such a viability, tissue-guided regenerated conduits can be delivered as off-the-shelf biodevices and possess all the potentialities for a long-lasting resolution of the dramatic inconvenience of heart valve diseases, both in children and in the elderly. A review on preclinical and clinical investigations of this therapeutic concept is provided with evaluation of the issues still to be well deliberated for an effective and safe in-human application.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Equipment Failure Analysis / methods
  • Guided Tissue Regeneration / instrumentation*
  • Guided Tissue Regeneration / methods
  • Guided Tissue Regeneration / trends
  • Heart Valve Diseases / therapy*
  • Heart Valve Prosthesis / trends*
  • Humans
  • Prosthesis Design / methods
  • Prosthesis Design / trends
  • Tissue Engineering / instrumentation*
  • Tissue Engineering / methods
  • Tissue Engineering / trends
  • Tissue Scaffolds / trends*