TISSUE ENGINEERED HUMAN PULMONARY VALVES WITH CYCLIC PRESSURE BIOREACTOR ACCELERATED SEEDING STRATEGIES AND METHODS FOR ASSESSING INFLAMMATORY POTENTIAL OF PUTATIVE SCAFFOLDS FOR TISSUE ENGINEERED HEART VALVES

摘要

The invention provides for bio-engineered or tissue engineered heart valves that are more efficiently recellularized and/or have a decreased inflammatory potential. The heart valves are generally decellularized and then recellularized using autologous cells wherein the valves are subjected to pulsatile motion during the recellularization process. Tissue engineered heart valves subjected to the pulsatile motion are characterized by having at least 20% of the cells that remain on or in said previously decellularized tissue two weeks after the recellularization process are located below or interior to the basement membrane of said tissue. A method of making bio- engineered tissues having these characteristic is also disclosed. Further provided is a bio-assay and related method for determining the inflammatory potential of a tissue.