About this Research Topic
The appropriate biomechanical function of dynamic heart valve tissues relies on a precise extracellular matrix microarchitecture. Specialized, heterogeneous cell populations within the tissues actively maintain the extracellular matrix structure. Altered biomechanical conditions can cause mechanotransductive cellular responses that result in degradation and synthesis of extracellular matrix components. The remodeled extracellular matrix changes the tissue biomechanics. During heart valve development, this biomechanics-mechanobiology feedback leads to tissue patterning and maturation. However, poor recapitulation of these developmental mechanisms in adult tissues leads to a variety of valvular diseases, which compromise cardiac function and can lead to heart failure. In this Research Topic, we invite contributions that enhance our understanding of heart valve biomechanics and mechanobiology. Reviews and original manuscript contributions may focus on heart valve development, homeostasis, and/or disease.
Keywords: biomechanics, mechanobiology, heart valves, remodeling, physiology
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
