Tissue Eng
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Heart valve disease is a significant medical problem worldwide. Current treatment for heart valve disease is heart valve replacement. State of the art replacement heart valves are less than ideal and are associated with significant complications. ⋯ The basics of heart valve structure and function, heart valve disease, and currently available heart valve replacements are discussed. The last 10 years of investigation into a tissue-engineered heart valve as well as current developments are reviewed. Finally, the early clinical applications of cardiovascular tissue engineering are presented.