​Recent Discoveries and Progress

• Cells in diseased canine mitral valves undergo a fundamental change in their cell type and these altered cells mediate the progression of the disease.

Significance: Dogs and humans with mitral valve disease share the same cellular mechanisms.

• Local tissue production of serotonin mediates canine and human mitral valve disease.

Significance: This finding explains the connection between drugs that alter serotonin (appetite suppressants, antidepressive drugs, anti-migraine drugs) and heart valve disease. This research may help in the development of novel treatments that could be used to slow progression or prevent mitral valve disease.

• We've developed an innovative method for preparing biological scaffold tissues (e.g. porcine valves) for tissue-engineering applications.

Significance: New scaffold tissues may lead to the development of a "living" heart valve prosthesis that would solve many of the shortcomings of current heart valve prostheses.