A Biomimetic Leaflet Scaffold for Aortic Valve Remodeling

作者：Kenneth J. De Jesus Morales, Utari Santosa, Olga Brazhkina, Pranshu Rajurkar, Hanjoong Jo, Michael Davis · 发表于：Advanced Healthcare Materials · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.1002/adhm.202303972 · 被引用次数：11 · 研究领域：Electrospun Nanofibers in Biomedical Applications、Cardiac Valve Diseases and Treatments、Cardiac and Coronary Surgery Techniques

Heart valve disease poses a significant clinical challenge, especially in pediatric populations, due to the inability of existing valve replacements to grow or respond biologically to their microenvironment. Tissue-engineered heart valves (TEHVs) provide a solution by facilitating patient-specific models for self-repair and remodeling. In this study, a 3D-bioprinted TEHV is designed to emulate the trilayer leaflet structure of an aortic valve. A cell-laden hydrogel scaffold made from gelatin methacrylate and polyethylene glycol diacrylate (GelMA/PEGDA) incorporates valvular interstitial-like (VIC-like) cells, being reinforced with a layer of polycaprolactone (PCL). The composition of the hydrogel scaffold remains stable over 7 days, having increased mechanical strength compared to pure GelMA. The scaffold maintains VIC-like cell function and promotes extracellular matrix (ECM) protein expression up to 14 days under two dynamic culture conditions: shear stress and stretching; replicating heart valve behavior within a more physiological-like setting and suggesting remodeling potential via ECM synthesis. This TEHV offers a promising avenue for valve replacements, closely replicating the structural and functional attributes of a native aortic valve, leading to mechanical and biological integration through biomaterial-cellular interactions.