Aplicación de la ingeniería de tejidos en el desarrollo de válvulas cardiacas y miocardio

Abstract

Heart transplants are becoming more common medical procedure due to an increase in myocardial diseases. Unfortunately, the current number of myocardial donors is low and science is looking for other alternatives to obtain this organ or parts of it. The aim of this research was to analyze the application of tissue engineering for the development of heart valves and myocardium, as an alternative to the limited number of donors. This research analyzed the incidence of heart problems worldwide, obtaining a higher percentage of heart diseases in the Caucasian ethnic group. In addition, eight causes that influence the low number of available myocardial donors were identified, of which incompatibility and social perceptions were the most featured. Likewise, the problems that can occur when performing myocardial transplants were analyzed and it was found that infections are the most common problem. Subsequently, the alternatives that tissue engineering is developing to help overcoming these problems were investigated and compared. Currently six methods have been described that could be used as they have the advantage of using different types of cells and biomaterials that are adapted to individual's system. When comparing these techniques for both myocardium and heart valve development, it was found that cellular cardiomyoplasty is one of the best options to replace transplants due to its low cost, good functionality and easy implementation. In conclusion, tissue engineering is opening new doors for the development of complex organs and thus saving more lives.