Tissue Engineering of Human Heart Valve Leaflets: A Novel Bioreactor for a Strain-Based Conditioning Approach |
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Authors: | Email author" target="_blank">Anita?MolEmail author Niels?J?B?Driessen Marcel?C?M?Rutten Simon?P?Hoerstrup Carlijn?V?C?Bouten Frank?P?T?Baaijens |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands;(2) Clinic for Cardiovascular Surgery, University Hospital Zürich, Raemistrasse, Zürich, Switzerland;(3) Department of Biomedical Engineering, Laboratory for Biomechanics and Tissue Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, Building W-hoog 4.112, 5600, MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands |
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Abstract: | Current mechanical conditioning approaches for heart valve tissue engineering concentrate on mimicking the opening and closing
behavior of the leaflets, either or not in combination with tissue straining. This study describes a novel approach by mimicking
only the diastolic phase of the cardiac cycle, resulting in tissue straining. A novel, yet simplified, bioreactor system was
developed for this purpose by applying a dynamic pressure difference over a closed tissue engineered valve, thereby inducing
dynamic strains within the leaflets. Besides the use of dynamic strains, the developing leaflet tissues were exposed to prestrain
induced by the use of a stented geometry. To demonstrate the feasibility of this strain-based conditioning approach, human
heart valve leaflets were engineered and their mechanial behavior evaluated. The actual dynamic strain magnitude in the leaflets
over time was estimated using numerical analyses. Preliminary results showed superior tissue formation and non-linear tissue-like
mechanical properties in the strained valves when compared to non-loaded tissue strips. In conclusion, the strain-based conditioning
approach, using both prestrain and dynamic strains, offers new possibilities for bioreactor design and optimization of tissue
properties towards a tissue-engineered aortic human heart valve replacement. |
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Keywords: | Heart valve prostheses Bioreactor Mechanical conditioning Straining Modeling |
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