Durable endothelium-mimicking coating for surface bioengineering cardiovascular stents

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Cardiovascular Engineering
• Surface Chemistry

Background:

• Endothelium-mimicking surfaces on cardiovascular stents can reduce in-stent restenosis (ISR).
• Durability of nitric oxide (NO) release and glycocalyx bioactivity are key limitations.
• Native vascular endothelium provides crucial NO-release and glycocalyx functions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a durable endothelium-mimicking surface for cardiovascular stents.
• To improve the longevity of NO release and glycocalyx component bioactivity.
• To reduce ISR by mimicking native vascular endothelium functions.

Main Methods:

• Mussel-inspired polydopamine (pDA) coating followed by polyamine (pAM) cross-linking created a pAMDA coating.
• Covalent grafting of NO-generating Cu-DOTA complex and heparin onto the pAMDA surface using carbodiimide chemistry.
• Evaluation of coating durability, NO release kinetics, heparin bioactivity retention, and in-stent restenosis inhibition.

Main Results:

• The pAMDA coating demonstrated high chemical stability.
• Heparin bioactivity was retained at 62.4%, and NO was persistently generated for 1 month.
• The functionalized stent inhibited thrombosis, inflammation, and intimal hyperplasia, enhancing re-endothelialization.

Conclusions:

• The mussel-inspired coating provides a durable solution for endothelium mimicry on stents.
• This strategy effectively reduces in-stent restenosis through sustained NO release and glycocalyx function.
• The developed stent coating shows significant potential for improving cardiovascular implant outcomes.