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Lactin and Antibody-Based Histochemical Techniques for Cardiovascular Tissue Engineering

Introduction

Tissue engineering is an emerging field, began in 1970 and is based on using a combination of cells, engineered materials and biochemical factors suitable to improve or replace biological functions. It is an interdisciplinary field that applies the principles of engineering science and biology towards a development of biological substitutes that restore, maintain or improve tissue function or a whole organ.

Discussion

For the affected patients tissue engineered heart valves have developed completely new perspectives. In children with congenital heart defects, a tissue engineered valve prosthesis can be used which can grow over time with the patient's organism and the now often required repeated operations superfluous. These flaps are based on biological valve scaffolds made individually in the laboratory. In addition, the patient's own cells are used, eliminating the need for immunosuppressant and also the need for lifelong blood thinning (Simionescu, Et.al, pp. 20). The risk of allergy appears as compared to the currently used prostheses which can reduce it. Finally, tissue engineered heart valves almost completely physiological properties and provide an ideal basis for natural flow properties in the cardiovascular system, causing the heart muscle to be spared.

The research in this area is already well advanced. Some already received first children with congenital malformation of the pulmonary valve one tissue engineered valve replacement, and the follow-ups show an excellent flap functions as well as their growth in parallel with the growth of the patient's organism. The pulmonary valve is the first clinical trial within the reach of people. The current experimental efforts are aimed at producing tissue engineered valve prostheses for the replacement of the aortic and mitral valves.

The development of biomaterials and implants alternatives to those commonly used is the central theme of the tissue engineering. In this context, the research has been in progress for several years. It offers a development of methods for the study of cell proliferation and sensitivity to the efforts in the fluid (shear stress), as well as the production of bioreactors and bio-absorbable polymer matrices by electro-spinning that is used as substrates for cell cultures. These were used as substrates parts of the aortic root or porcine arterial wall and polymeric matrices, whose morphological characteristics of nano-and micro-fibers are particularly suitable for a cellular colonization and subsequent formation of new tissue. In the latter case, it means to study the wide modulation of the numerous process variables electro-spinning that allows producing media with different morphologies, ...