Polymers for Biomedical Applications: the Quest for Treating Cardiovascular Diseases

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading causes of death worldwide. Current treatments using balloon angioplasty, stents, and bypass grafts still suffer from significant risks of restenosis and thrombosis. This review outlines key research areas where polymers are used in treatments for cardiovascular diseases, highlighting developments from the last decade. Designed to serve both experts and non-experts in the field, it requires little prior knowledge of the subject. A description of the cardiovascular system, cardiovascular diseases, current treatments, and their limitations are first introduced. After providing a detailed overview of the basic and advanced requirements for new treatments, recent advances in key research fields where polymers are applied to achieve these goals are highlighted. While surface modifications aim to improve endothelialization and/or prevent neointimal proliferation, shape memory polymer stents are intended to reduce damage to the arterial wall upon expansion. Research has also focused on developing biodegradable polymer stents to avoid any remaining material in the artery after healing. Finally, various advanced processing methods enable the production of polymeric personalized stents. By addressing various research areas in a single review, the interplay among them is highlighted, demonstrating that their convergence is essential for optimizing treatments and improving human quality of life.