Russia has developed the world's first aortic valve from donor pericardium

Sechenov University has developed the world's first biological valve based on homologous (donor) pericardium. The development is unique in everything: from the processing and shape of the valve flaps to its skeleton and storage solution. Thanks to the special processing method and storage solution, the valve's constituent elements do not calcify - one of the most frequent problems when implanting biological prostheses.

"All of this, together with the most physiological valve design possible, suggests that the valve will have a service life 40% longer than the aortic valve prostheses currently on the market. For patients, this means that such a valve is likely to be installed for life, without subsequent replacement," explained the authors of the development.

It is possible to implant such a valve in patients with a wide range of cardiovascular diseases: congenital heart disease, stenosis, insufficiency and even infective endocarditis. The latter is possible because the valve flaps are specially treated and potentially resistant to infectious agents.

One of the most important steps in the manufacturing of the innovative valve is the decellularisation of the pericardium, i.e. a special cleaning of the pericardial sheet from "extra" tissues and antigens that are unique to each individual. After the cleaning process, only "neutral" connective tissue remains at the technologists' disposal. In the future, the specialists perform its laser marking and attach it to a titanium frame and use the valve for implantation in the patient.

In the near future, the first prototype valves will be implanted in laboratory animals. If preclinical studies are successful, clinical testing of the innovative valves will begin. According to the developers, the new prostheses are supposed to be implanted in middle-aged patients.