Construction of Three-Dimensional Scaffold for Tissue Engineered Heart Valves

Tissue engineered heart valve (TEHV) is a valve replacement of scaffold materials on which live cells grow. Theoretically, TEHV has good tissue compatibility, self-repair potential and life-long durability, which serves as the optimal replacement for a heart valve. As a result of the specific position and function of a specific heart valve, significantly high requirements of mechanical and biological properties are necessary for optimal function. A substantial number of studies suggested that the TEHV available at present has insufficient mechanical properties and lacks relevant anti-calcification function, both of which prevent the successful application of TEHV into clinical practice. A desirable valvular scaffold, which mimics the three-dimensional ultrastructures of extracellular matrix (ECM) in the heart valve, should possess the ECM bioactivity, favorable tissue compatibility and suitable mechanical properties. However, no such valve scaffold is currently available. Hence, clinical efforts should be made to remodel the scaffold materials, allowing for utilizing its functionalization. Here, we reviewed the scaffold materials previously used in TEHV, e.g. decellularized scaffold, polymer-based scaffold, nanoscaffold and nanocomposite scaffold and scaffold material modification.