The heart valves play a crucial role in cardiovascular function by ensuring one-directional blood flow into and out of the heart. When heart valve tissues become diseased, structural changes lead to biomechanical insufficiency of the valves, which can have a major impact on blood distribution. Normal valvular homeostasis is tightly regulated by action of speciaLized cells residing within the valves; therefore, this article focuses on the known cellular changes that lead to pathological remodeLing of heart valve extracellular matrix. At the end of the article, current and future therapeutic approaches are discussed.
