Heart patients could soon be fitted with heart valves that grow naturally in the body – ending the need for more surgeries

British heart patients will soon be fitted with heart valves that grow naturally inside the body, marking a significant advance in the treatment of heart disease.

An initial group of more than 50 patients will receive temporary valves made of fibers, which will act as a ‘scaffold’ that can be implanted and integrated with the body’s cells.

Over time, the scaffolds dissolve, leaving behind a living valve made entirely of the patient’s own tissue.

When heart valves become diseased, they can stiffen or leak, increasing the risk of heart failure, stroke or heart attacks.

Existing valve replacement options for patients have major drawbacks.

Valves taken from cows, pigs or human tissue and implanted in the patient only last about ten years and can still be rejected by the body’s immune system. Mechanical valves require patients to take medications for the rest of their lives.

Current treatments pose enormous challenges for children born with heart defects because the valves do not grow with their bodies and must be replaced several times before they reach adulthood.

But the new valves can grow as the child grows and become one with the patient’s body.

An initial group of more than 50 patients will receive temporary valves made of fibers that will act as a ‘scaffold’ that can be implanted and integrated into the body’s cells.

The first heart-lung transplant in Britain was carried out at Harefield Hospital in north-west London (pictured) by Professor Yacoub

The project is led by Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub, a renowned heart surgeon now in his eighties, who performed the first heart-lung transplant in Britain at Harefield Hospital in northwest London.

Around 13,000 heart valve replacements are carried out each year in the UK and 300,000 worldwide – and the numbers are growing every year.

The new living valve could transform the lives of these patients by eliminating the need for repeated surgeries and reducing the risk of rejection.

Dr. Yacoub told the Sunday Times: ‘I always say nature is the best technology. It’s so superior to anything we can make. Once something is alive – whether it is a cell, tissue or (the living valve) – it adapts itself. Biology is like magic.’

Research published in Nature Communications Biology showed promising results in sheep.

Within just four weeks of implantation, more than twenty types of cells – including nerve and fatty tissue – were found in the right locations, mimicking a natural heart valve.

Unlike previous attempts, this project, led by Heart Biotech at Harefield Hospital, successfully stimulated the growth of nerve cells in the valve.

Within six months, the structure is made entirely of the patient’s living cells, and after one to two years the skeleton dissolves, leaving a fully functional heart valve that grows with the patient throughout its life.

Research published in Nature Communications Biology showed promising results in sheep. Pictured: Illustration of the aortic valve

Human trials involving between 50 and 100 patients, including children, will begin in 18 months.

The trials will compare the new living valve with conventional artificial valves and will involve an international team of experts from institutions such as University College London, Great Ormond Street Hospital and medical centers in New York, Italy and the Netherlands.

Dr. Sonya Babu-Narayan, associate professor at the British Heart Foundation, called the development “the holy grail” for heart valve surgery.

She said: ‘It’s still early days, but if further research shows the approach is successful in people, many people around the world could live well for longer without the need for repeat heart valve procedures.’