title: Tissue engineering of an auto-xenograft pulmonary heart valve.
abstract: To improve the durability of stentless valves without losing their excellent hemodynamic function, a new-generation auto-xenograft was developed and evaluated. A piece of vein was harvested from 3 juvenile sheep 6 weeks before implantation of the valve. Endothelial cells from the vein material were cultivated and used to reendothelialize a decellularized porcine pulmonary valve. The tissue-engineered valve was implanted into the right ventricular outflow tract of the juvenile sheep. It was explanted after 100 days and assessed macroscopically as well as by x-ray, light microscopy (hematoxylin and eosin staining and von Kossa staining), and scanning electron microscopy. Calcium content of the cusps was determined quantitatively by atomic absorption spectrometry. The sheep implanted with the valve recovered quickly without any problems during the observation period. X-ray examination of the 3 explanted valves showed no cusp calcification, which was confirmed by histological study. Atomic absorption spectrometry showed low tissue calcium content. A clinical safety and feasibility trial with an allograft valve prepared the same way showed excellent short-term results in 6 patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Hospital, Charité Humboldt-University Berlin, Berlin, Germany. pascal.dohmen@charite.de
authors.forename: Pascal M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Dohmen
authors.forename: Shigeyuki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ozaki
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Verbeken
authors.forename: Jessa
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yperman
authors.forename: Willem
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Flameng
authors.forename: Wolfgang F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Konertz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001705:Bioprosthesis; D002118:Calcium / Q000032:analysis; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011664:Pulmonary Valve; D012756:Sheep; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic; D023822:Tissue Engineering; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
chemical_list: D002118:Calcium