title: Heart valve stenosis in laser spotlights: insights into a complex disease.
abstract: Degenerative heart valve disease is a life-threatening disease affecting about 3% of the population over 65 years. Up to date, cardiac surgery with heart valve replacement is the only available therapy. The disease is characterized by degenerative disorganization of the heart valve structure and alterations in the residing cell populations. Causes and mechanisms of disease genesis are still not fully understood and until now pharmacological therapies are not available. Thus there is enormous interest in new technologies that enable a better characterization of structure and composition of diseased valves. Currently most research techniques demand for extensive processing of extracted valve material. We present a novel approach combining coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering, endogenous two-photon excited fluorescence and second harmonic generation. Cusp constituents can be examined simultaneously, three-dimensionally and without extensive manipulation of the sample enabling impressive insights into a complex disease.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Herzzentrum Dresden, Klinik für Herzchirurgie, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Büttner
authors.affiliation: Clinical Sensoring and Monitoring, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Galli
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Herzzentrum Dresden, Klinik für Herzchirurgie, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Anett
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jannasch
authors.affiliation: Clinical Sensoring and Monitoring, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schnabel
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Herzzentrum Dresden, Klinik für Herzchirurgie, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Waldow
authors.affiliation: Clinical Sensoring and Monitoring, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Edmund
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Koch
mesh_terms: D017667:Adipocytes / Q000166:cytology; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001011:Aorta; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001022:Aortic Valve Insufficiency; D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003094:Collagen / Q000737:chemistry; D019245:Compressive Strength; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry; D004549:Elastin / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D051847:Lithostathine; D008297:Male; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D055095:Optics and Photonics; D017785:Photons; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman
chemical_list: D051847:Lithostathine; C497616:Reg1a protein, rat; D003094:Collagen; D004247:DNA; D004549:Elastin
keywords: Heart valve disease; aortic valve insufficiency; aortic valve stenosis; coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering; endogenous two-photon excited fluorescence; fibrosis; nonlinear optical microscopy; second harmonic generation