Lucknow: Researchers at the Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS), Lucknow, have achieved an important breakthrough by successfully isolating and growing human heart valve interstitial cells (VICs) in the laboratory. These cells play a vital role in maintaining the structure of heart valves and repairing damaged valve tissue. The researchers also modified the cells’ metabolism to study how their functions change during disease. This work is an important step toward developing tissue-engineered human heart valves that may benefit patients requiring heart valve replacement in the future. This study was supported by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India, New Delhi and the findings have been accepted for publication in the Journal of Physiology and Biochemistry, an international peer-reviewed journal published by Springer Nature and enlisted as an impactful research in “Interstitial disease”.
The study was led by Dr. Shantanu Pande from the Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery (CVTS) and Dr. Alok Kumar from the Department of Molecular Medicine & Biotechnology.
Using heart valve tissues collected from patients undergoing valve replacement surgery, the research team successfully established a primary human rheumatic valve interstitialcell (VIC) culture. This patient-derived cell model provides a reliable platform to understand how rheumatic heart disease damages heart valves and to evaluate new treatment approaches.
The researchers identified two important biological pathways—TGF-β/SMAD3and ERK1/2—that are responsible for inflammation and scarring (fibrosis) in heart valves. Their findings show that rheumatic heart disease is an active disease driven by ongoing inflammation and fibrosis, rather than being only a structural defect of the heart valve.
This research provides a strong foundation for developing new treatments that could slow or prevent valve scarring, preserve normal valve function, and reduce or delay the need for heart valve replacement surgery. The newly established human heart valve cell platform will also support future studies on disease mechanisms, biomarker discovery, and the testing of new medicine.
The work was carried out through the combined efforts of the Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, Department of Molecular Medicine & Biotechnology, and Department of Clinical Immunology. The study involved Charan Sai Ramireddi and Anjali Singh (Department of Molecular Medicine & Biotechnology), Mohit K. Rai and Vikas Agarwal (Department of Clinical Immunology), and Surendra K. Agarwal (Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery). To further strengthen the study, Dr. Vinita Agrawal from the Department of Pathology has joined the research team, providing expertise in histopathological evaluation and enhancing the project’s translational potential for future studies.
Congratulating the team, Prof. R. K. Dhiman, Director, SGPGIMS, said,”This achievement reflects SGPGIMS’ unwavering commitment to excellence in biomedical research, innovation, and translational medicine. I congratulate the research team for their dedication and scientific excellence.”
