Melbourne. Australian scientists have achieved a major breakthrough in the field of medical research by developing tissue resembling a human heart valve from stem cells. Scientists believe the technology could open up a new avenue for treating serious heart valve disorders, particularly in children, in the future. According to Xinhua News Agency, the study, led by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI), found that heart valve tissue developed in the laboratory grew and behaved in ways similar to valves in the human body. The research has been published in the journal Cell Stem Cell. Scientists said the technology could make it easier to understand how human heart valves develop from birth through adulthood and how they change as a result of disease or infection. Holly Voges, team leader of MCRI’s Heart Regeneration Group, said the achievement is an important step toward developing treatments for damaged heart valves that could potentially use a patient’s own cells. Around 28 million people worldwide suffer from heart valve disease. The condition can be caused by congenital abnormalities, infections and age-related weakening of the valves. At present, there is no treatment that can completely restore a damaged heart valve to normal. As a result, many patients have to undergo valve replacement surgery. A key aspect of the study was the use of the laboratory-developed tissue to understand rheumatic heart disease (RHD). When researchers exposed the tissue to inflammatory proteins associated with RHD, it became stiff and showed biological markers similar to those found in diseased human heart valves. RHD has a disproportionately high impact on Indigenous populations in Australia. Scientists believe the new laboratory model could help improve understanding of the disease and support the development of more effective treatments in the future. Professor Enzo Porrello of MCRI said that the same technology could eventually be used to develop heart valves capable of growing with patients and adapting to their changing needs. If the technology proves successful in further testing, it could be particularly significant for children. One of the major challenges with current valve implants is that they may need to be replaced as a child grows. Scientists hope that stem-cell-derived heart valves could eventually help address this problem.
