Human Tissue Successfully Grown on Animal Heart Valves in Landmark Study
Seoul, South Korea – In a breakthrough with the potential too revolutionize heart valve replacement, researchers at a South Korean hospital have successfully recellularized xenogeneic (animal-derived) heart valves with human cells in vitro. The achievement, published in the online edition of ‘Tissue Engineering: Part A’, marks the first presentation of its kind and offers a promising path toward eliminating the need for lifelong immunosuppressant drugs for patients receiving valve replacements.
Currently,heart valve replacements often rely on mechanical valves or bioprosthetic valves made from animal tissue – typically pig or cow pericardium. While bioprosthetic valves avoid the need for long-term blood thinners, they inevitably degrade and require re-operation after 10-15 years.Furthermore,the animal origin triggers an immune response,necessitating ongoing immunosuppression to prevent rejection. this new research tackles both issues by stripping the animal tissue of its antigens (decellularization) and then repopulating it with a patient’s own cells, effectively creating a personalized, living valve.
The research team, led by Professor Lim Hong-guk of pediatric Thoracic Surgery, maximized antigen removal through decellularization and a combined enzyme treatment. They then co-cultured cells on the decellularized valve,observing rapid infiltration and stable settlement. Crucially, the expression of key proteins associated with tissue regeneration – vimentin, calponin, fibronectin, von Willebrand factor (vWF), and CD31 - all increased, indicating triumphant cell settlement and the formation of vascular endothelial cells.
“This study…is the first in the world to demonstrate the possibility of in vitro recellularization by co-culturing human cells,” stated Professor Lim. “We will continue research to connect this technology to actual patient treatment in the future.”
The study was funded by Lee Kun-hee’s Pediatric Cancer and Rare Disease Overcoming Project.The research builds on the team’s prior success with a pulmonary artery stent valve developed in 2018, utilizing a self-developed anti-calcification protocol applied to pig pericardium. That valve has since been implanted in 872 patients with excellent results. Researchers Soyoung Kim of the Biomedical Research Institute and Kibeom Kim of the Department of Pediatrics also contributed to the study.
