Bioprosthetic heart valves
AssigneeMayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, a Minnesota corporation
InventorNalini M. Rajamannan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention provides methods and materials related to heart valves and the treatment of valvular heart disease. Specifically, the invention provides non-murine heart valve cells and heart valve cusps as well as methods for making heart valves. The invention also provides methods and materials for (1) slowing heart valve degeneration, thrombosis, and calcification, (2) treating carcinoid heart disease, (3) identifying inhibitors of heart valve degeneration, thrombosis, and calcification, and (4) determining the safety of drugs.
Claims35
A non-murine heart valve cell containing an exogenous nucleic acid that encodes a polypeptide having nitric oxide synthase activity.
An isolated heart valve cusp, wherein a cell of said cusp contains an exogenous nucleic acid that encodes a polypeptide having nitric oxide synthase activity.
A method for making a bioprosthetic heart valve, said method comprising:
- a) obtaining a heart valve cusp, and
- b) introducing nucleic acid into a cell of said cusp, wherein said nucleic acid encodes a polypeptide having nitric oxide synthase activity.
A method for slowing the degeneration of a heart valve within a non-murine mammal, said method comprising introducing nucleic acid encoding a polypeptide having nitric oxide synthase activity into a cell of said heart valve such that said polypeptide is expressed.
A method for slowing heart valve degeneration, said method comprising:
- a) identifying a mammal at risk of developing heart valve degeneration, and
- b) administering an inhibitor of hydroxymethylglutaryl coA reductase activity to said mammal.
A method for treating carcinoid heart disease in a mammal, said method comprising administering a serotonin receptor antagonist to said mammal.
A method for identifying an inhibitor of heart valve degeneration, said method comprising:
- a) contacting heart valve cells with a stimulant such that said cells proliferate,
- b) contacting said cells with a test compound, and
- c) determining if said test compound reduced the proliferation of said cells, wherein the reduction of proliferation indicates that said test compound is an inhibitor of heart valve degeneration.
A method for determining the safety of a drug, said method comprising:
- a) contacting heart valve cells with said drug, and
- b) determining if said drug induced proliferation of said cells, wherein the induction of proliferation indicates that said drug promotes heart valve degeneration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.