Grant: Operating Grant

Bioprosthesis (BP) are animal's derived tissues used by surgeons to replace diseased heart valves. These substitutes have many advantages for patients, including among them, the fact that these valves obviate the need for anti-coagulation treatment. However, their longevity after implantation is plagued by a phenomenon called structural valve deterioration (SVD). While it was thought for years that SVD was a passive process, for which no active treatment could prevent its development, our laboratory has recently identified that active mechanism (thus potentially modifiable) were involved in the deterioration of valve function. We have found that patients with obesity, diabetes, and renal failure have an increased risk to develop SVD. In addition, the ongoing research of our laboratory has also shown that a mechanism akin to atherosclerosis (a common disease of blood vessels in westernized societies) is participating to the development of SVD. Thus, the objective of our work is to understand the mechanisms that participate to SVD. These new and exciting discoveries open a new field of investigations with the hope to reduce or abolish in a near future the development of SVD increasing, therefore, the quality of life for patients.