Homograft Valves Implanted--Become Patient's Own Living Growing Tissue...

[PJmomrunner]

If I read this correctly it says these doctors have taken a human donor pulmonary valve that's been stripped of its own cells so that only a scaffolding remains, impregnated it with living cells from the patient in whom it is to be implanted, implanted the PV, and documented growth in both the valve and the patient. Two patients are followed in the study. Wow!

http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/114/1_suppl/I-132

 

[Lynlw]

thanks

thanks

thanks for posting that. it is alot like the work being done in boston and a few other places but they use a different scaffold, i believe it is vegtible base. Justin has a gortex conduit from his right ventricle to his pulm artery w/ a bovine valve in it now, it will need replaced several more times thru out his life, until he is able to get a tissue engineered conduit/valve or something like that that SHOULD last the rest of his life or at least longer than the current products available. Since he is only 18 and has already had 4 OHS and has a record of big internal scarring (his heart was fused to his sternum before his last surgery, luckily we knew about it before they opened him) I really pray they are available before his next surgery. when he had his last surgery (may05) several docs as several of the leading centers said he probably would be able to get on his next surgery, we're not counting on it, but would be nice if at least his 6th OHS would be the last for a looong while

 

[tobagotwo]

This type of denucleated valve scaffolding that grows your own cells on it has been around for quite a while. I dubbed the originals "Chia valves" some years ago.

Cryolife had made the first one from denucleated porcine valves (Synergraft), but it proved to be too flimsy in the long run. It had shown great promise, and even grew with its more youthful owners (lambs, originally), but when human trials began, there were many premature failures.

Perhaps new technologies can make it work the way they had hoped. It could be the best of both worlds: no ACT and lifetime service.

Best wishes,

 

[Lynlw]

There actually is a family with a little girl Holly who is about 5 and has the same chd/repair as Justin. She goes to Boston and her family set up a NP JUST to raise funds for this research, talk about being proactive