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Short Abstract
Researchers working in Biomitral aim to engineer a mitral valve with its chordae tendineae that can be implanted in the heart without other materials to hold it in place: the project focuses on engineering a device able to duplicate native tissue structure and functions.
Researchers aims to improve the state of the art in mitral valve surgery creating a biomimetic environment that can induce tissue regeneration: with this approach engineered devices can grow together with patients, reducing drugs usage and the risk of undergoing multiple surgeries.
Aims
The project is following a 3 aims pathway
Characterization and Bioprocessing ↹ Modelling → Testing
AIM #1: Delving into the structure-function relationship of native and engineered mitral valves
Scientific literature lacks a comprehensive database that gathers information on healthy and pathological mitral valves. Researchers are working on the characterization of valves, analysing them 24 hours after explantation: these data will help to delve into the structure-function relationship, leading to the fabrication of stentless engineered mitral valves with their chordae tendineae attached.
AIM #2: Improving fabricated devices until they are comparable with existing prostheses
Two instruments are the core of this aim. Computational calculations are helping to identify the most effective number and locations of chordae – valve junction points. With the pulse duplicator, simulating the pulsing flow of the human heart, researchers are studying fabricated devices: a continue interaction with Aim 1 will help to improve the engineered valve function metrics until they will be comparable with those measured for commercially available mitral prostheses.
AIM #3: Testing optimized devices in living hearts
Once ready to go testing in a beating heart, researchers will implant the optimized device in ovine models to understand its behaviour in a living organ and environment. This phase will also include a comparative study with control groups of animals that will receive commercially available prostheses.