Subventions et des contributions :

Subvention ou bourse octroyée s'appliquant à plus d'un exercice financier. (2017-2018 à 2020-2021)

Children born with congenital heart diseases, such as tetralogy of Fallot, often have defectivex000D
heart valves. For example, in tetralogy of Fallot, the pulmonary artery and valve are narrowed.x000D
Surgeons can enlarge the artery and add a valve leaflet by using a patch made fromx000D
pericardial tissue from around the heart or a synthetic fabric. While this provides temporaryx000D
relief to the infant or child, the repair materials cannot grow with the patient and are prone tox000D
scarring and calcification, leading to a lifetime of reoperations and clinical interventions for thex000D
patient.x000D
Here, we propose to use principles of heart valve tissue engineering to produce sheets ofx000D
living valve leaflet tissue that can be used as an alternative repair material. The sheets will bex000D
made from stem cells from the infants own umbilical cord grown on a polyurethane mesh,x000D
which will eventually dissolve away in the body to harmless byproducts, leaving behind ax000D
living valve leaflet produced by the stem cells. To kickstart tissue production, we will first growx000D
the valve tissue in bioreactors that exercise the tissue to improve its strength and flexibility.x000D
Most engineered valve tissue fails by scarring, so to prevent this, we will inject nanoparticlesx000D
loaded with an anti-scarring drug into the tissue prior to implantation. We will test this novelx000D
replacement tissue in pigs to assess whether the material is durable, does not scar, andx000D
remains functional in the body.x000D
Over the next three years, our interdisciplinary team of material scientists, heart valvex000D
experts, and cardiac surgeons will train next-generation engineers, scientists, and surgeonsx000D
and will collaborate with our partners at SickKids Hospital and Tissue Regenerationx000D
Therapuetics to translate this novel concept in congenital heart defect repair towards practice,x000D
significant improvement in the current standard of care, and economic impact throughx000D
commercialization.