Clemson University TigerPrints All Dissertations Dissertations 12-2010 Characterization and Evaluation of a Novel Tissue Engineered Aortic Heart Valve Construct Mary Tedder Clemson University,
[email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_dissertations Part of the Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons Recommended Citation Tedder, Mary, "Characterization and Evaluation of a Novel Tissue Engineered Aortic Heart Valve Construct" (2010). All Dissertations. 626. https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_dissertations/626 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Dissertations at TigerPrints. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Dissertations by an authorized administrator of TigerPrints. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. Characterization and Evaluation of a Novel Tissue Engineered Aortic Heart Valve Construct A Dissertation Presented to the Graduate School of Clemson University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy Bioengineering by Mary Elizabeth (Betsy) Tedder December 2010 Accepted by: Dan Simionescu, Ph.D., Committee Chair Jake Isenburg, Ph.D. Martine LaBerge, Ph.D. Jiro Nagatomi, Ph.D. Timothy Williams, MD ABSTRACT Tissue engineering holds great promise for treatment of valvular diseases. Scaffolds for engineered heart valves must function immediately after implantation, but must also permit repopulation with autologous host cells and facilitate gradual remodeling. Native aortic heart valves are composed of three layers, i.e. two strong external fibrous layers (ventricularis and fibrosa) separated by a central, highly hydrated spongiosa. The fibrous layers provide strength and resilience while the spongiosa layer facilitates shearing of the external layers. Our working hypothesis is that partially cross- linked collagen scaffolds that closely mimic the layered histo-architecture of the native valve would fulfill these requirements.