Tissue-engineered mitral valve chordae tendineae: Biomechanical and biological characterization of decellularized porcine chordae.

Chordae tendineae are essential for maintaining mitral valve function. Chordae replacement is one of the valve repair procedures commonly used to treat mitral valve regurgitation. But current chordae alternatives (polytetrafluoroethylene, ePTFE) do not have the elastic and self-regenerative properties. Moreover, the ePTFE sutures sometimes fail due to degeneration, calcification and rupture. Tissue-engineered chordae tendineae may overcome these problems. The utility of xenogeneic chordae for tissue-engineered chordae tendineae has not yet been adequately explored. In this study, polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEM) film modified decellularized porcine mitral valve chordae (PEM-DPC) were developed to explore tissue-engineered chordae tendineae as neochordae substitutes. Fresh porcine mitral chordae were decellularized and reserved the major elastic fiber and collagen components. Decellularized chordae with a PEM film were produced with chitosan-heparin by a lay-by-lay technique. Mesenchymal stem cells and vascular endothelial cells could grow well on the surface of the PEM-DPC. The superior biomechanical properties of PEM-DPC were proved with good flexibility and strength both in vitro and in vivo. PEM-DPC can be developed for potential alternative mitral valve chordae graft.