Preclinical assessment of decellularised (antigen-reduced), gene-modified porcine heart valves (C07)

• Subject Area: Cardiac and Vascular Surgery
• Term: from 2012 to 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 213602983

The goal of this research proposal is to use the domestic pig as a source for regenerative heart valve implants. Prior to clinical trials, we will continue with the ongoing evaluations of pulmonary heart valves derived from GGTA1-ko pigs that had been decellularised and partially deglycosylated and finally implanted in our orthotopic baboon model. In the new funding period, we will develop and validate more effective deglycosylation regimes for decellularised heart valve matrices derived from multi-ko pigs. These will be characterised using glycan profiling. Preformed antibodies will be evaluated in vitro, using blood and serum from potential patients. The respective optimised valves will then finally be tested in vivo using our baboon implantation model.

• DFG Programme: CRC/Transregios
• Subproject of: TRR 127: Biology of Xenogeneic Cell and Organ Transplantation - From Bench to Bedside
• Applicant Institution: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
• Project Heads: Professor Dr. Falk Büttner; Privatdozent Dr. Serghei Cebotari, until 4/2022; Professor Dr. Axel Haverich, until 12/2020; Dr. Andres Hilfiker; Professor Dr. Ulrich Martin, until 6/2016; Professor Dr. Heiner Niemann