Aortic stenosis, the most prevalent heart valve disease affecting 2-7% of those over 65, has a grim 3-year survival rate of <30% if untreated. Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), a minimally invasive procedure that replaces stenotic valves with new leaflets, is an increasingly common solution following success in older and high-risk patients. TAVI allows earlier intervention with greater benefits to quality of life. However, extending TAVI’s benefits to a wider range of patients, including younger and low-risk groups, requires valve leaflets that last longer in the body. Bovine/porcine pericardium leaflets, which are currently the only materials compatible with TAVI, are susceptible to accelerated mechanical degradation and calcification, limiting their lifespan to 5-10 years. This project will develop a nanoparticle therapy which can coat pericardium leaflets prior to and/or after TAVI to improve their biological resilience to degradation and calcification, helping to extend TAVI’s benefits to larger patient cohorts.
Last updated12 March 2024