Cell-mediated mineralization model for bioprosthetic heart valve tissue

Calcification is the major cause of degeneration in bioprosthetic heart valves. One possible solution to the problem is to coat the surface of the heart valve with anti-mineralization agents, which are known to inhibit soft tissue calcification, e.g. phosphocitrate and bisphosphonates. However, there are a few steps that must be performed before coating the surface of the heart valve with these agents. The focus of this paper is on these intermediate steps, which led to the design of a cell-mediated mineralization model for bioprosthetic heart valve tissue.