March 2, 2022 – An international study led by a researcher from Tel Aviv University offers a novel technology that can assist many patients implanted with bioprosthetic heart valve by avoiding additional complicated replacement surgery.
Many heart patients implanted with such valves are forced to replace it ten years later due to calcification of valve tissue. The researchers have now been able to show that by genetically engineering the biological component in the valve – it was possible to avoid immunological attack and calcification risk, thereby offering next-generation durable bioprosthetic heart valves. The study was published in the prestigious journal Nature Medicine.