Nitric Oxide Generation and Endothelial Progenitor Cells Recruitment for Improving Hemocompatibility and Accelerating Endothelialization of Tissue Engineering Heart Valve

Abstract

Tissue engineering heart valve (TEHV) offers great potential to overcome the limitations of commercial artificial valves used in clinical practice as a permanent prosthetic valve. Currently, decellularized heart valve (DHV) is the most widely used scaffold for TEHV, but showed suboptimal performance due to difficulty of endothelialization. Facilitating endothelialization of DHV is indispensable for better valve performance, and excellent hemocompatibility guarantees enough time windows for endothelialization process. Herein, a dual‐functional TEHV scaffold with improving hemocompatibility and accelerating endothelialization is constructed by modifying DHV with copper ions (Cu) and growth differentiation factor 11 (GDF11). Results show the newly‐constructed scaffold successfully generates endogenous nitric oxide (NO) through catalysis of Cu, and possesses improved hemocompatibility by down‐regulating platelets activation and adhesion. Furthermore, GDF11 immobilization significantly accelerates scaffold endothelialization through facilitating recruitment, supporting growth, and alleviating apoptosis of endothelial progenitor cells . This TEHV scaffold shows favorable performance under in vivo hemodynamic environment with intact endothelial coverage and adaptive ECM remodeling, and without thrombus or calcification formation. This newly‐constructed TEHV scaffold is expected to make up for the shortcomings of currently available prosthetic valves in clinical practice and has the potential possibility of rapid translation to the clinic as a better prosthetic valve.

A Versatile Passivated Protein‐Adsorption Platform for Rapid Healing of Vascular Stents by Modulating the Microenvironment

“…[26][27][28] Notably, copper ions (Cu 2+ ) can catalyze S-nitrosothiols decomposition in the blood to release NO, while also stimulating vascular EC proliferation and enhancing angiogenesis. [29,30] Under acidic conditions, Cu 2+ can form copper-polyphenol complexes through coordination chelation with phenolic hydroxyl groups. [31] These complexes inherit the biological functions of both Cu 2+ and polyphenols (such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and free-radical scavenging activities).…”

Templated Assembly of Silk Fibroin for a Bio‐Feedstock‐Derived Heart Valve Leaflet

“…Notably, some recently reported biomaterials favorably communicate with cardiovascular systems. [8][9][10] Nevertheless, their inherent softness makes them vulnerable to degeneration. Hence, the development of leaflets based on tough biomaterials is necessary to realize stable cardiac cycles through bioprosthetic valves.…”