Restorative valve therapy by endogenous tissue restoration: Tomorrow's world?

The current standard of treatment of valvular diseases with severe functional and/or clinical consequences is the repair or replacement of the valve, which is usually surgical or, in specific scenarios, percutaneous. The available prosthetic valves, however, are not a magic bullet in the physicians' arsenal for the management of valvular diseases, since the age-dependent structural valve deterioration (SVD) and the need for prolonged systemic anticoagulation in the case of metallic prosthetic valves are not inconsequential during the lifespan of a patient with an implanted prosthetic valve. Based on decades of research combining the scientific disciplines of supramolecular chemistry, electrospinning and regenerative medicine, endogenous tissue restoration has emerged as a very promising domain to provide this magic bullet, in the form of valves, which enables functional restoration by the body itself. The concept of a restorative material that will set the framework for the creation of a new, endogenous valve is very appealing and, recently, proof of concept studies have been completed at both preclinical and clinical levels. These studies have shown favourable pathologic, anatomic and haemodynamic characteristics compared to currently available prosthetic valves, in sheep and in young children undergoing right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction, and may represent an alternative to the bioprosthesis made of xenopericardial tissue. The present manuscript reviews the rationale, background knowledge and historic development of endogenous tissue restoration and presents preliminary data about the Xeltis valve, which appears to have the potential to make restorative valve therapy a reality in clinical practice.

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