Progress in research and development of biodegradable metallic vascular stents

Vascular stents are an essential tool in cardiovascular interventional therapy, and their demand is growing with the increasing incidence of cardiovascular diseases. Compared with permanent stents, which are prone to in-stent restenosis, and drug-eluting stents, which may cause late stent thrombosis, biodegradable stents offer advantages. After providing early radial support to prevent elastic recoil, biodegradable stents gradually degrade, allowing the vessel to regain its natural physiological contractility and undergo positive remodeling. A review of the current mainstream biodegradable metal stents, magnesium-based, iron-based, and zinc-based alloys, shows promising findings in both preclinical and clinical research. Magnesium-based stents exhibit good operability and low thrombosis rates, but their limitations include rapid degradation, hydrogen evolution, and significant pH changes in the microenvironment. Iron-based stents demonstrate excellent mechanical strength, formability, biocompatibility, and hemocompatibility, but their slow corrosion rate hampers broader clinical application; accelerating degradation remains key. Zinc-based alloys have a moderate degradation rate but relatively low mechanical strength; enhancing stent strength by alloying with other elements is the main improvement direction for zinc-based stents.