A PEGylation Method of Fabricating Bioprosthetic Heart Valves Based on Glutaraldehyde and 2-Amino-4-Pentenoic Acid Co-Crosslinking with Improved Antithrombogenicity and Cytocompatibility

This study presents a PEGylation strategy for improving the hemocompatibility and biocompatibility of glutaraldehyde-crosslinked bioprosthetic heart valve leaflets without compromising mechanical integrity. Decellularized porcine pericardium was first co-crosslinked with glutaraldehyde and 2-amino-4-pentenoic acid to introduce polymerizable allyl groups, followed by covalent immobilization of poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate via radical polymerization. The modified tissues exhibited significantly reduced protein adsorption, platelet adhesion, inflammation, and calcification compared with traditional glutaraldehyde-fixed controls. Mechanical testing showed that PEGylated pericardium retained native-like nonlinear tensile behavior, with only modest reductions in tangent modulus and extensibility. Aortic valve prototypes fabricated from PEG-modified pericardium met ISO 5840-3 hydrodynamic requirements and withstood 200 million accelerated fatigue cycles, demonstrating the method’s promise for durable, blood-contacting heart valve applications.