ABOVE: The heart valve replacement developed by Tranquillo and colleagues
SYEDAIN, ET AL., TRANQUILLO LAB, UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
A new type of artificial heart valve transplanted into lambs maintained function and grew with the animals for up to a year, scientists reported March 17 in Science Translational Medicine.
“For pediatric patients in need of valve replacements, a tissue-engineered valve that will grow with the patient and can potentially be populated by the patient’s own cells is the holy grail,” says Daniel Levi, a pediatric cardiologist at UCLA Health who was not involved in the study. But, he cautions, “We often see very promising results in the lab and in animals that can’t be replicated in humans.”
There are two main options for patients who need heart valve replacements: a purely mechanical valve, which increases the risk of blood clots, and a bioprosthetic option made from animal tissues. Neither will last long ...
