The use of acellular matrices for the tissue engineering of cardiac valves.

Tissue-engineering approaches to cardiac valve replacement have made considerable advances over recent years and it is likely that this application will realize clinical success in the near future. Research in this area has been driven by the inadequacy of the currently available cardiac valve prostheses for younger patients who require multiple reoperations as they grow and develop. Tissue engineering has the potential to provide a valve capable of the same growth, repair, and regeneration as a natural valve and could improve outcomes for patients of all ages. Owing to the function and physical environment of the cardiac valve, the development of tissue-engineered replacements is unusual in that the biomechanical properties of the construct must dominate the biological properties in order for the valve to be functional at the time of implantation. As a result of this, conventional tissue-engineering scaffolds based on biodegradable polymers or collagen may not at present be suitable in this situation because of their initial limited strength. Research into the use of acellular xenogeneic and allogeneic matrices for tissue-engineered heart valves has consequently become extremely popular since the biomechanical properties of the valve can potentially be preserved with an optimal decellularization technique that removes the cells without damaging the matrix. A number of acellular scaffolds have already been tested clinically both unseeded and preseeded with cells and these have met with variable results. This article reviews the concepts involved and the advantages and disadvantages of the different approaches to tissue engineering a living cardiac valve.