Proteolytic degradation is the culprit behind a bioprosthetic heart valve failure

Whereas the risk factors for structural valve deterioration (SVD) of glutaraldehyde (GA)- treated bioprosthetic heart valves (BHVs) are well-studied, those responsible for the failure of next-generation BHVs fixed with alternative chemicals remain largely unknown. Here, we collected 11 ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether (EGDE)-treated BHVs excised because of SVD and 5 calcified aortic valves (AVs) replaced with BHVs due to the calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD), further deciphering their proteomic profile.